The first shield bug nymphs have started appearing, with this pair on a ripening raspberry. There seemed to be adults mating every day during this year’s long hot spring.
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Slowly (or sloe-ly) ripening
Sloes in teh Barley Field hedge, ripening. These were at shoulder level. When they are ripe, there will be a race between birds and gin drinkers to decide who gets the benefit.
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Very hungry cinnabar moth caterpillar
Cinnabar moth caterpillar actively chomping away at a ragwort early one morning.. Some years, many ragowrks have several of these caterpillars eating them away. This year I have been carefully inspecting the plats I have come across: this is the only caterpillar I’ve spotted.
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Shaggy parasol struggling to emerge
Shaggy parasols are normally one of our larger autumn mushrooms. Tghis one was struggling to grow in unpropitious circumstances, in the small patch of bare earth around one of the lime trees on the pavement edge of a main road into town.
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Singleton mallard duckling, Compton
Female mallard and her by now well-grown duckling, which was a singleton wen I first noticed it when recently hatched. Now well grown and beginning to get adult feathers.
Old man’s beard when some of the flowers were beginning to open, and others on the same plant were still buds.