Growing Mangalitza piglets at Mary Arden’s Farm. From two different litters, both in muddy enclosures, big enough to be on solid foods. Both sets with the mother sows. Also, in a separate but nearby enclosure, a grandmother sow. A third set of piglets, in a sty with flags for floor, may be Oxford sandy and black pigs.
Goldfinch flock, taking flight because they had been disturbed by a bird of prey overhead while they were getting stuck in to the thistle seeds in the wildflower meadow at Mary Arden’s Farm, Wilmcote.
Female mallard and six ducklings on the River Avon earlier this month. They swam into the lock to the canal basin to feed on the algae on the walls, but were shepherded back out again by a pair of swans which were already there.
The following day, as I was out without my camera, I saw the duck again, swimming in the canal basin. This time she was accompanied by eight ducklings.
Robin’s pincushion: a gall which affects briars. These three were on the same twig of a briar growing in the hedge by the canal towpath beyond Castlecroft.
Golden Guernsey and Arapawa goats at Mary Arden’s Farm, Wilmcote. On this visit, one of the golden guernseys spent its time sticking its head through the fence of their compound, heavily hinting it wanted to be fed. The only arapawa to come out of the cover and deep shade of their shelter spent its time with its head buried in the water bowl.
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust properties in town at Stratford on Avon have extensive gardens, with carefully-considered plantings for displays of flowers and fruits in season. The gardens of the out-of town properties (not featured in this set) have old fashioned variety vegetables. Hall’s Croft does too, as well as a herb patch.
This selection of flowers and fruits were in the gardens earlier this month, seen in brief intervals between the bouts of heavy downpours of rain.