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David

Wild carrot, Compton Park pond area

Wild carrot, Compton Park pond area

Wild carrot at various stages of flowering on different stems of the plant. Growing at the edge of the wetland area created round the Compton Park pond, and probably not one of the wildflowers which were sown when the area was created.

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David

Patchwork leafcutter bee on thistle flower

Patchwork leafcutter bee on thistle flower

A patchwork leafcutter bee (Megachile centuncularis) on a thistle flower, sampling the pollen, and getting some of it scattered over its back.

Patchwork leafcutter bee on thistle flower
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David

Bulrush flowers, Compton Park pond

Bulrush flowers, Compton Park pond

Flowering seasonfor the bulrushes which re increasingly the dominant vegetation of the Compton Park pond.

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David

Two robins

Two robins

Two robins recently in the Smestow Valley nature Reserve. One was flying around in the bushes at the edge of the Barley Field. The other searching for things to eat on the surface of the Railway Walk nearby.

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David

Yellow: ragwort close-ups

Yellow: ragwort close-ups

Ragworts quite often have butterfly or moth caterpillars feeding on their leaves, but I haven’t managed to find any so far this year. So I settled for a few close-ups of the ragwort flowers instead.

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David

Semaphore flies assembling

Semaphore flies assembling

Every summer, tens of semaphore flies assemble near the edge of the Compton Park pond. My impression is that there have been somewhat more of them around than usual this year.

Semaphore flies assembling