Where to Start?

The sun and warmth are bringing everything out and it is a joy to see the reserve turning colourful after what, to me, has been a long winter of white, grey, black and wet. A flash of red or blue are the damselfies flitting amongst the vegetation and over the ponds.

Blue damselflies are not the easiest to identify so I will play safe and say this is one of the blue damsels!

Speckled Wood butterflies appreciate the sunny glades that can be found around the reserve and enjoy the warmth of the sun.

Mainly flying at night most moths remain unseen.  Lights on the Field Centre can attract them to the walls.  I transferred this White Ermine from there to the Privet hedge for a photograph.

The hive bees kept us on our toes yesterday as most of them left the hive to fly around the back garden, probably to cool down.  We were a little concerned that they were going to swarm but we could not find a queen cell in the hive, a trigger for swarming.  So we waited and listened to their loud buzzing until they decided to return.  There was then a 'bee-jam' at the entrance as they waited to reach the opening to their hive.

Whilst some flowers are just flowering others have set seed like this Coltsfoot, to be found in the rocks in the stream leading from the weir, at the lake.

This Welsh Poppy was not open on Thursday but was on Saturday.

There are Bluebells across the reserve, continuing to grow in more areas than ever.  There is even one on the heath!  i must admit that the best display is around the Stone Circle and that was captured by Adam.

Lark and Taurus are enjoying the new growth of grass around Plover's Pool.