Spider nursery

Spider nursery

Mass of young cross spiders huddling together in a web. The spiderlets had disappeared by the next morning, together with almost all evidence of the web.

Reed flowering

Reed flowering

Flower of a canalside reed. A single thread of spider silk is connecting the stem to the nearest leaf.

Frog sheltering

Frog sheltering

Frog which came under cover, apparently to shelter, during a recent heavy shower.

Frog sheltering

Heron preening

Heron preening

Heron taking care of its feathers.

Heron

The bird was on the deserted playing fields of Smestow School, as seen from the canal towpath.

White dog roses

White dog roses

Wild roses flowering on a bush growing on the edge of the Barley Field in the Smestow Valley Nature Reserve.

Coot feeding lone chick

Coot feeding a chick

Coot feeding a chick on West Park lake.

Coot chick

This is either the ones shown here, or here.

Coot feeding a chick

Several coot pairs living on the lake seem to have had breeding successes this year, but each just with a single chick.

Moorhen and lone chick

Moorhen chick

Single moorhen chick together with one parent.

Moorhen and chick

They were swimming and feeding on the canal near Compton.

Moorhen chick

Moorhen