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David

What are they?

What are they?

Strange-looking things growing in a front garden. I thought they were fungi, but on closer inspection they are plants. Identified by iNaturalist as western wild ginger (Asarum caudatum) but I’m not convinced.

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David

Yellows: sun fly on ragwort

Yellows: sun fly on ragwort

Sun flies, quite a common hoverfly. This one was busy eating on ragwort flowers.

Yellows: sun fly on ragwort
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David

Spiky flowers: teazle

Spiky flowers: teazle

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).

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David

Keep to the path (carrion crow, Compton Park)

Keep to the path (carrion crow, Compton Park)

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.

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David

Yarrow going to seed

Yarrow going to seed

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.

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David

Purple, red: thistle flower, soldier beetle

Purple, red: thistle flower, soldier beetle

It’s been a common red soldier beetle summer. This one was feeding on a thistle flower.