Wolves Wild

Moorhen on the edge of the reed patch on the Compton Park pool, contorting itself to preen its feathers.

West Park’s mother heron coming in to land on the overhanging willow tree where the young bird was already standing. As she spreads her wings to keep her balance, she could almost be modelling for modern images of primitive birds and related dinosaurs.

Plantain flower. This species had flowers on a tall stem, standing up over the rest of the plant.

The West Park cygnets are now getting larger and more independant of their parents. Here three of them were on the boating lake, half way between the island and the shore, poking their heads in the water in search of something to eat.

Yellow poppy flower. The other small and out of focus patches of yellow among the green of the grass are buttercups.

Tiny snail of the leaf of a reed on the Compton Park pond. A slender spider is also trying to get in on the act.

Coot swimming with a pair of very young chicks, keeping them close to one of the islands in West Park lake.

Close-up of delicate cow parsley flowers – these were growing by the path crossing Compton Rough.

Female large red damselfly on a leaf on the Compton Park pool, moving to the far side of the leaf, perhaps to avoid my attention. As in many species, the female is less conspicuous than the males.

West Park’s parent swans and their cygnets, contorting their necks to preen while afloat in the middle of the boating lake.

Ornate white poppies, some flowers already open and others just breaking buds, in one of the front gardens of East Castle Street, Bridgnorth.

Another morning, and a buzzard using a thermal to rise in the sky over Compton Park as soon as it had got warm enough, the bird soaring almost over my head.