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David

Ducklings on an outing

Duckling on an outing

Ducklings, some onlly recently hatched, on outings on or beside the canal at different points between Newbridge and the Water Bridge. Three different broods each out with the mother mallard on the same morning earlier this month.

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David

Starling on the prowl, West Park

Starling on the prowl, West Park

Starling on a daisy-studded patch of the lawns in West Park, prowling around looking for prey.

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David

Water mint plant, Compton Park

Water mint plant, Compton Park

Water mint, the stem and leaves emerging from shallow water of the pool in Compton Park.

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David

Broad-bodied chaser on the end of a leaf

Broad-bodied chaser on the end of a leaf

Male broad-bodied chaser dragonfly at rest on the end of a leaf over Compton Park pool yesterday. The males of this species get a territory near water. They take a short spell perching on a look-out post, as here. Then they take off. They fly on patrol round their territory. They look for any intruding males, which will be seen off, and also for a female. Then they come back to land on their observation post, and the cycle runs again.

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David

Greylag geese and goslings, West Park

Greylag goslings

Pair of greylag geese with their three goslings on West Park boating lake last month. The young had only hatched recently, and still had their milk teeth. But one of them was noticably bigger than the other two. It must have hatched a day earlier.

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David

Red, blue: acer leaves in spring

Red, blue, acer leaves in spring

japanese acer leaves have vivid autumn colours, reds and yellows. Some varieties have are red from when the foliage emerges in the spring, like this one I noticed in a front garden and pictured against the blue sky of a sunny morning.

Red, blue, acer leaves in spring