Sunny Waterside

The sunshine and warm temperatures this morning, were our cue to take a walk around Mapperley Reservoir - and take the flask with us too. This time, we stopped for coffee before we circumnavigated the reservoir to avoid the expected increase in people numbers later on.

After coffee, we set out around the water's edge and were immediately impressed by the vast number of water lily pads which have covered the water's surface.

On the banks of the reservoir, tall stands of Common Ragwort, echoed the yellow of the water lilies and provided a wonderful feeding station for large numbers of Hoverflies.

The deep pink/purple of the Great Willowherb was also colouring the scene.

Looking into the shallows, small fish were to be seen, hiding among the lilies and trying to keep out of sight of the Common Tern which was quartering back and forth across the reservoir, looking for a meal.

A nice morning for a walk and, as it turned out, not too busy either!

Stormy Skies

Having spent the last few days doing a spot of home decorating, we were only too pleased to be out and about this morning for a walk around Shipley Park. Timing was important today as it looked as if we were not going to get far before the heavens opened and we got a good soaking. But, taking our umbrellas as insurance, we set out to do the 'farm walk'. As we passed the local wildlife trust meadows, we were delighted to see the Highland Cattle again.

While 'mum' was keeping her head down, munching on the new grass shoots, 'junior' was having fun with a small branch sticking out of the trees.

Suddenly becoming aware that there was a camera pointing at him, he posed for a second or two before walking off.

Carrying on along the footpath around theses meadows, the views across Shipley Park were rather good, especially with the glowering clouds gathering above.

The dark clouds contrasted well with the sun-lit grasses and the green of the trees in the distance on Shipley Hill.

By now, we thought it prudent not to hang about too long, so headed for home.

After all that, we avoided the rain so didn't need those umbrellas after all!

High Summer

So here we are, well into another month and Summer is slipping past alarmingly quickly. One sure sign of high summer and it's relentless rush towards autumn, is the arrival of the tall, stately and attractive Angelica flowers (Angelica sylvestris).

The red stems and generally large size of this wild flower, make it unmistakable. A member of the carrot family, it has been used as a culinary ingredient for centuries, indeed it was regularly used as a vegetable right up until the 20th century and is a good source of vitamin C. The stems were eaten raw and the leaves were boiled and eaten like any other 'greens'.

This morning's walk took us through a summer meadow inhabited by a small group of Highland Cattle.  One of the cows has recently given birth to a rather gorgeous calf and this little charmer was taking things easy under the trees at the edge of the meadow, while being watched closely by 'mum'.

Clearly, watching us walk by was all too much like hard work and junior was soon nodding off again in the warm sunshine, while 'mum' availed herself of the fresh green grass growing through the fence.

Hawker

This morning's walk, took us along the old West Hallam Railway tracks and what we like to refer to as the 'Farm Walk'.  The wild flowers along the old railway lines, are superb now, but it was what was sitting on one of the Creeping Thistle flowers, that caught my attention. A Southern Hawker Dragonfly (Aeshna cyanea).

One of the most common species of Dragonfly in the UK, this is an impressive animal, measuring about 3" long, with various pale blue spots and stripes on its abdomen.

This specimen was looking a little worse for wear as it was missing part of its left-hand, rear wing, probably as the result of an encounter with a predator of some kind.  It was also rather lethargic and unwilling to take to the air, even as I pointed my camera closer to it.

Despite seeming to have a  'smiling' face, they are fearsome predators, catching other insect species on the wing as an adult and, as a nymph, feeding on tadpoles and other water-born invertebrates. Truly a Dragon if ever there was one - but still rather beautiful.

Cattle

Only one subject for today's blog entry and one which Malcolm suggested as we walked through Mapperley village this morning. The field of cattle and especially the calves which were resting in the sunshine.

This mixed herd of cattle, both adults and several youngsters, were being rather vocal as we passed, eagre as they were, to be in contact with another herd some distance away which was mooing back at them with some gusto.

These little calves however, were taking it all in their stride and making the most of what little sunshine was on offer, following the dismal weather we've had lately.

With their large eyes, long lashes and pink, wet noses, they looked extremely photogenic laying in their field. This pair seemed to be inseparable...

All tagged with their bright yellow 'ear-rings', they made a handsome sight this morning.

Rags

The countryside is filled with yellow right now. Among the most common flowers to add their yellow colouring are those belonging to the Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris).

This is a well-known plant which can be found growing on the country's highways and byways all over the place. It goes by several common names, most of which are rather less than polite - so here goes... Known a s Stinking Willy, Stinking Nanny, Stammerwort and even Mare's Fart!

A member of the Daisy family, it gets most of these names from the nasty smell of the leaves. It is very popular with bees, butterflies and a wide range of pollinating insects. The orange and black stripy caterpillars of the Cinnabar moth find them irresistible too - as can be seen in the background here.

Another yellow flower to be found around these parts at the moment is the Yellow-wort (Blackstonia perfoliata). Not so common as the Ragwort, this is a member of the Gentian family and is more-or-less at its northern limit in the UK. These are to be found growing in the old gravel car-parks of Shipley Woodside, holding their bright yellow petals on top of glaucous stems and leaves. Beautiful!

Flutterings

A stroll along the 'Farm Walk' this morning, revealed a plethora of winged creatures, as well as a few which have yet to grow their wings. The Ragwort flowers are in full bloom and it was on these that most of the insects were to be found. The first was a Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus). In fact, there were hundreds of them flitting about on the flowers this morning. Very common in the UK, they are extremely beneficial too. Their larvae are predators of aphids and the adults are prolific flower pollinators.

The next little flutterer was a Gatekeeper butterfly (Pyronia tithonus). Another common species, the name comes from them being frequenters of gaps and gateways in hedgerows. They spend much of their time (as this one was) with their wings spread, basking in the sunshine.

The third insect was found on the Ragwort once again. This one however, had not yet developed into a winged adult. This is the caterpillar of the Cinnabar Moth (Tyria jacobaeae). The bright yellow and black striped colouration, indicates that it is very unpalatable to those creatures which might want to make a meal of it. The foul taste coming from alkaloids in the Ragwort plants on which they feed.

Finally, a buzzing thing which was very busy on the flowers of the Creeping Thistles. This Honey Bee was so busy, it didn't seem to notice me poking my camera lens into its affairs - or if it did, it didn't care too much!