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David

Female beautiful demoiselle, Worfe churchyard

Female beautiful demoiselle, Worfe churchyard

Female beautiful demoiselle damselfly which landed on grass in Worfe churchyard as I was passing. Females are less vividly coloured than the males, so are harder to spot when they are at rest.

It will have come from the River Worfe nearby, a big gathering spot for this species.

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David

Peacock butterfly in short grass

Peacock butterfly in short grass

Peacock butterfly resting on a piece of ground with short patchy grass, spreading its wings to catch the morning sun.

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David

Yellow, green: greater celandine

Yellow, green: greater celandine

Yellow of greater celanding flowers, at different stages of development on the same plant.

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David

Male beautiful demoiselles, Stratford Brook, Wkyen

Male beautiful demoiselle, Stratford Brook, Wkyen

On the same stretch of water as the mayfly in yesterday’s post, half a dozen male beautiful demoiselle damselflies. They would select a piece of vegetation in sunlight and overhanging the water as their spot to pose on trying to attract a female. Frequently, another male would fly too close, so the incumbent would take off. There would be a brief flurry of combat, sometimes three- or four-sided. After a few seconds the victor would go to the place in the sun, with the losers retreating to gather their strength for a fresh challenge.

Some yards further upstream, too far for my lens, one of the males did manage to get the attentions of a female.

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David

Ravens soaring on thermal, Wightwick

Raven soaring on thermal, Wightwick

Ravens climbing high into the clouds on a thermal, seen from Wightwick Lock. Possibly a pair, perhaps nesting somewhere nearby on Tettenhall Ridge.

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David

Ground ivy, flowering

Ground ivy, flowering

Ground ivy (a common wild plant, which has several other vernacular names) with its pale purple flowers. Not actually an ivy, but a member of the mint family.