Young ducks, not yet full sized but already in their adult plumage. Swimming by the flowering water lilies on Old Nursery Pond.
Damselfly embrace
A pair of azure damselflies clasped together, resting on a leaf while mating. Another male flies over.
White water lilies, Old Nursery Pond
It’s water lily flowering season. These were on Old Nursery Pond.
Turtle returns
It’s back. I hadn’t seen the West Park turtle since late May, despite visiting the park often. Finally, recently, it was back in one of its favourite spots for basking in the sun. It had been away so long, a coot had decided that the end of the log was a safe spot to build its nest.
Proud heron, West Park
A West Park heron on one of the highest favoured perches, this time with its neck stretched out, occasionally inclining its head at a slightly differetn angle.
Now, something completely different: blue-tailed damselfly
My damselfly sightings this year have been very heavily dominated by azure damselflies (often as they were mating). Not as numerous, but still quite abundant, have been banded demoiselles – I haven’t spotted any of the more reclusive and better camouflaged females.
Apart from these, very few individuals from very few species. This blue-tailed damselfly was resting on a leaf at the Compton Park pond mid-month. There’s been no sign of it on visits since.