Enchanting

A few more pictures this morning, from our recent walks around Mapperley Reservoir. Among the young birds which are seemingly everywhere at the moment, Coots are particularly numerous. On the reservoir, they have quickly learned that humans standing on the waterside, could mean a free meal.

Capturing their image against a bright background and the reflected sunlight on the water's surface, makes for some rather nice effects.

In the woodland around the reservoir, a small, insignificant plant is flowering.  Easily overlooked, it has as intriguing name of Enchanter's Nightshade (Circaea lutetiana) and it has a spike of tiny, white flowers, held above the green leaves of the woodland floor.  The genus name derives from the Greek Goddess Circe, the Goddess of Magic.  The second part of the scientific name, comes from the town in Roman Gaul, known as Lutetia, which later developed into the city we now know as Paris.