The blackthorn flowers in the last post came from the long hedge which separates the Barley Field from the Railway Walk in the Smestow Valley Nature Reserve. The hedge is so long that only an aerial photo could do it full justice. This is the lower section, perhaps half the entire length.
Blackthorn has been spectacular this year: it’s always impressive with a mass of tiny flowers on bushes before there are any signs of leaves appearing. The flowers are now beginning the process of turning into sloes.
Here the flowers were at their height, showing at their best on a sunny morning.
Tightly-wrapped sycamore bud. It was on the twig of a young tree, conveniently at eye level.
At the end of a maple twig, a flower bud beginning to open. I think that the smaller, still closed buds are leaves.
These violets were growing right by the path on the Smestow Valley railway Walk. What struck my was the varying shades of purple in their petals.
Peacock butterfly resting on slate chippings as it spreads its wings to warm in the midday sun.
Spike of tiny flowers on a laurel bush.
Castle Walk on the edge of Bridgnorth’s High Town gives pleasant views over the Severn valley. Its also a good spot to look at on trees and shrubs growing slightly further down the slope, to see their leaves, flowers or fruit conveniently near eye level.
One of a pair of coots with very young chicks on the Birmingham Canal. Three chicks, and one of the birds sitting on the nest possibly brooding an as yet unhatched egg or eggs.
The distinctive nest recycling rubbish thrown in the canal had been noted only one or two days previously by Agnus Dickie from the Smestow Valley birders.
Patch of wood anemones flowering in a sunlit spot in Northycote Farm wood. Berry Brook and its marshy banks stopped me getting any closer.
The green of this shield bug wasn’t effective in giving it camouflage against the greens of the leaf it was resting on.
St George’s mushrooms, so called because they appear around this time of year. These were just beginning to emerge on an embankment of the Smestow Valley Railway Walk ten days ago. Their caps hadn’t yet spread out to take on “mushroom shape”.
Pair of great crested grebes, the male with a rather scruffy crest.
He was spending a lot of time preening as they swam along.
