The entire superstructures of the (tall, tall) plants are covered in defensive spikes. Those on the flowers are long, and end in a hook. They are designed to catch in fur or feathers once the seeds have ripened, to get the seeds away from the parent plant.
Once upon a time, teazles were used as combs to clean raw wool. Later, they were the inspiration behind the invention of Velcro (TM).
Carrion crow keeping to the metalled surface as it stalked along the footpath / cycle path in Compton Park. Seems to be a regular habit for this bird.
The flowers on one stalk of a yarrow had had their time, and seemed to have folded over to form a ring as the plant began to go to seed.
It’s been a common red soldier beetle summer. This one was feeding on a thistle flower.
On the oak trees, the acorns had not yet reached their final egg in a fancy eggcup shape, but were filling out towards that goal last month.
tps://www.flickr.com/photos/davea2007/52252746621
A robin anting: spread its its feathers as widely as possible as possible, then pressing down hard on the ground so that ants can get at it. Thought to be a method of getting rid of small parasites or of grooming the feathers.
This robin chose to do it, at least twice, on ground with few if any ants.