Darting About

It was a little cloudy as we set out for our walk this morning and with a few spots of drizzle in the air, things didn't look too promising. But it soon brightened up and the sun eventually put in an appearance. We headed for Osborne's Pond today.

As we sat looking at the scene, a squirrel was dropping half-eaten acorns on us, so we moved on. At the water's edge, the last of the summer's Hemp Agrimony flowers are just hanging on.

Dragonflies seem to be everywhere at the moment. as we walked along past Shipley Lake, a large, Brown Hawker flew by. Too quick for me to get a photo, I thought at first it was a Wren as it flitted past, such is the size of these insects. A few days ago, we encountered another Dragonfly as we crossed Parker's Bridge and this one settled long enough for me to get a picture. This time, it was a male Common Darter, resplendent in its red colouring.

Lots of insects to be found around the cattle of Mapperley Village as we passed a few days ago. Poor things, they were being terribly pestered as they tried to munch the grass. Even the imposing bull in the centre of the herd wasn't immune from their attentions.