Categories
David

Reds: runner bean flowers

Reds: runner bean flowers

The distinctive bright red flowers growing on a runner bean plant.

Categories
David

Hornet mimic hover fly on buddliea flowers

Hornet mimic hover fly on buddliea flowers

A hornet mimic hover fly (Volucella zonaria) feeding on buddleia flowers, giving a convincing impression of being the stinging insect as it did do.

Categories
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.

Categories
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
Categories
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).

Categories
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.