Wolves Wild

Flag iris with some flower buds, and other flowers already opened. These were growing by the small pond in Bantock Park and the pond in Compton Park.

Male large red damselfly at rest on a dried-out bullrush leaf. The next day what was possibly the same insect had switched to a preferred spot on a nearby greener leaf.

Pictures from some years ago, which I have just noticed I never posted before. A young red squirrel on the ground in the extensive grounds of the Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin. Evidently it was used enough to human disturbance to be relaxed while I fired off several pictures.

Sadly, not something we can expect to see around here.

Young coot, one of a pair of half-grown chicks, with droplets of water spread across its down from where it had been diving in the water for food.

The West Park lone greylag gosling not (yet) getting any more elegant as it grows. Here it was lying on short grass, taking care of its feathers.

Both parents were close by, just out of shot, watching protectively.

Young coot chick swimming away from shore in the greenish-looking waters of West Park lake.

Peacock butterfly with ragged wings, which spent some time with its wings spread on the wooden railing of the Compton Park footbridge. A little later it moved to a nearby flower where it continued to warm itself.

Young heron, a regular on one of the islands in West Park, standing in a fallen willow which is still growing as it hangs over the water of the lake.

Purple lupin flowering in one of the small but carefully planted front gardens of East Castle Street, Bridgnorth.

May 28th. Still one and the other of the West Park nesting herons spending its time on a convenient perch to guard the nearby nest, occasionally preening. The other bird nearby in a position where the fishing was better. The few minutes I was there neither bird actually returned to the nest.

Nothing actually visible over the rim of the nest, but the adult pair still acting like there was something worth protecting there.

Looking semi-transparent and much less conspicuous than the male of the species, this is a female common blue damselfly, currently at rest on the leaf of one of the bullrushes in Compton Park pool.

A bumper-sized photoset this morining.

May 27, and after about three weeks when the West Park herons’ nest had always been occupied by at least one of the nesting pair, now both could be seen at once. Frequently close to or on the edge of the nest, sometimes a little distance away, fishing.

Not possible to see clearly inside the nest to discover whether there were any hatchlings, but some of the pictures show an indistinct grey mass which could be the back of a young bird.

I didn’t want to hang around too long, and possibly scare the birds. But they way they stuck around the nest gave some hope they had had a breeding success.