Hotter

Whew! What a scorcher!
Malcolm and I set out in the heat this morning for a long walk around the parkland toward Mapperley, round the reservoir, through the village and back across the fields back home again. The meadows are filling with Buttercups and Red Clover as the Dandelions turn into clocks and spread their seeds everywhere with the help of the breeze. You might just be able to make out the St, Marks Fly (Bibio marci) in the top-left of this picture. Called St. Marks Flies because they tend to appear each year around St. Mark's day (25th April). They are easily identifiable by their dangling legs as they fly around the Hawthorn trees.

Getting down to the level of the plants, you get an insects-eye view of things with the Buttercup flowers bright against the deep, blue sky.

Walking around the reservoir, we were treated to the sight of this little sweetheart, a Canada Goose gosling, accompanied by it's parents, came up, out of the water to graze on the waterside grass. Beautiful!

Also around the water's edge, there are a large number of Water Mint plants (Mentha aquatica). This highly aromatic plant is to be found almost anywhere there is clean water. If you pick a little bit and rub it between your fingers, the minty fragrance is very strong.

Almost home and a large shrub of Viburnum opulus 'sterile' or the Snowball Tree was to be found growing among the native shrubs. This is a well-known garden shrub, but obviously this one had escaped the domestic scene and struck out for itself in the big, wide world.