English

The weather remains blustery, cool and rather damp. Just when you think the ground is beginning to dry out a little, more rain falls and gives it a good soaking once again. So, we had a shorter walk this morning, expecting - and getting - a few spots of rain on the way. Notwithstanding, I still have a few pictures to share from recent, drier walks.
Firstly, some very low-growing little plants which are flowering bravely on the old, unused gravel car parks of Shipley Park. These are patriotically known as English Stonecrops (Sedum anglicum).

Preferring dry, stony growing conditions, these succulent plants belong to a family which will be familiar to anyone with a rockery in their garden. Their thick, fleshy leaves alternate along the stems and turn from grey-green to become more reddish as the season progresses.

They are much happiest growing in coastal shingles, quarries and can be found sprouting from dry stone walls. Wherever they are found, they like a sunny position and on the day I took these pictures, that's exactly what they had.

Also enjoying a rare spell of sunny weather a few days ago, a small, metallic-green beetle caught my eye. It seemed familiar but I couldn't immediately put a name to it.

It turned out to be a Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis), a thing which I have seen before, but this is a female and confusingly, does not have the 'swollen thighs' of the male and from which it gets it's name.