Wolves Wild

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.

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.

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.

Teazles when they are flowering, looking like there’s a thin layer of purple which I guess is the pollen.

Scarlet tiger moth,. seen the day after the one in yesterday’s post, but probably the same individual. Once again at rest, but this time around knee level, convenient for a nice clear view from above.

White bedstraw: it doesn’t take an expert to guess that it’s closely related to the lady’s bedstraw as featured in a post yesterday. Both were flowering at the same time earlier this month in the wetland / wildflower area around the Compton Park pond.

It seemed to me that the lady’s bedstraw was the more strongly perfumed, though that impression may have been because there was quite a bit more of it, and it was easier to get up close.