Wolves Wild

The two mallard cross ducks which have been on the lake at West Park recently seem to be settling in. The drake has darker plumage than mallards. It regularly goes round with a group of them.

Plants of the woodland under-storey have a brief growing season. It’s cut short when the trees above them develop their own leaves, shading whatever’s growing below from the life-giving energy of sunlight. So the likes of bluebells have to throw up their leaves early in the year to build up their stores.

These pictures were taken a couple of weeks ago, when the plants were showing no sign of flowers. Perhaps those are beginning to show about now, along with the increasing shade from the developing foliage canopy above.

The West Park turtle is back. We first noticed the turtle (or terrapin) during the first lockdown, three years ago, but were later told that other people had spotted in for some years already.

It climb onto a branch near one of the islands in the lake in the mornings, and stays sunning itself for several hours. It’s homeland is the swamps of Florida, so it survives the British climate by hibernating in the mud at the bottom of the lake during the colder months.

Last year, it emerged as usual in March. But despite regular visits, we didn’t see it again after May, and began to fear the worst.

Perhaps its disappearance was because it found some more private spot to sunbathe. Right on schedule, with a week to go before the end of March, there it was back in its usual spot, with its tail dangling in the water.

By now looking somewhat dehydrated, two of the fruits dangling from one of the plane trees in West Park.

Shovellers feed by filtering the water just under the surface. They often do this by swimming round in circles, usually in pairs or small groups. The water they are filtering has then been stirred up in the wake of the duck in front.

This pair in West Park were making very tight circles indeed. Perhaps they behave a bit differently in breeding season?

A bright magenta colour from the flowers on this currant. It was a breezy day, so the flowers weren’t attracting any bees.