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David

Moorhen in tree, preening, West Park

Moorhen in tree, preening, West Park

Moorhens rarely spend much time higher than ground or water level. This one was in branches of a tree spreading low over West Park’s boating lake, busily preening its feathers.

Moorhen in tree, preening, West Park

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David

Wood anemones near Packhorse Bridge, Hampton in Arden

Wood anemones near Packhorse Bridge, Hampton in Arden

A patch of wood anemones (these were in flower two years ago). The patches can sometimes cover large areas in woodland, flowering in early spring before the new leaves of the tree canopy overhead put the ground plants into shade.

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David

Scavenging rat, West Park

Scavenging rat, West Park

As the local authority financial cuts bite, staff like the parkies face ever-increasing workloads. One result is an ever bolder and almost certainly growing rat population in West Park (probably all the parks).

I rarely visit West Park these days without seeing at least one rat – emerging from the ground cover, going about its business and retreating back into the ground cover.

Often, the retreat is prompted when someone or some dog gets too close to the rat’s zone of comfort. Sometimes, it is when the rat has succeeded in grabbing some of the food visitors have left out for the birds or squirrels.

The rat in this picture headed straight for the brightly coloured litter: possibly a discarded bread wrapper with a little bread still inside. I just had time to get the one picture. A moment later the rat had seized the litter, and dragged it into the longer vegetation which can be seen in the background.

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David

Yellow archangel flowering, Aldersley Junction

Yellow archangel flowering, Aldersley Junction

Flowers from a couple of the plants in a small patch of yellow archangel right by the canal junction at Aldersley – one of several species of possible survivals from a small garden back in the days when Aldersley Junction was an important transport meeting point. These pictures were taken in April 2014.

Yellow archangel flowering, Aldersley Junction

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David

Bluebells, Bluebell Walk, Perton

Bluebell, Bluebell Walk, Perton

Bluebell Walk is the name given to the footpath through one of the patches of woodland remaining on the edge of the Perton estate. These pictures show a small sample of the bluebells in flower there this year.

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David

Mossy stone wall with primroses

Mossy stone wall with primroses

Stone wall, well covered in moss and with a variety of plants, including primroses flowering. The wall was in the village (or perhaps hamlet) of Roughton off the Wolverhampton – Bridgnorth road, and the pictures were taken in late April 2015

Mossy stone wall with primroses