Some recent photos from round about

I haven't posted much recently, so here a few from round about, instead of bunging them in loads of separate threads.

A Gatekeeper. Even if it doesn't show all the patterning, I also like getting views that aren't the standard wings open or wings closed.

A beautifully lit Lesser Black-back Gull against a shadowy, wooded hillside

I've been thinking I could do with some nice snail and slug shots, but I had a hard time keeping up with this Amber Snail... 

We don't normally have Egyptian Geese around but a couple have taken up temporary residence on Pennington. A pair spent a couple weeks there last year, too.

Small Skippers have taken over the mantle from their Large cousins and are now much more commonly seen. I'm always amazed by how much control they have over their tongues - even more flexible than an elephants trunk by the looks of it!

  

Some days the Lapwings are nervous and flighty ... and some days not. I can never work out what the difference is!

What's the saying, "a watched blackberry never ripens"? They are under constant scrutiny from the Blackcaps.

 

It's a shame thistles are considered to be weeds. They can be a but rangy but I think they are actually quite attractive plants, as well as being one of the most visited flowers I know. Insects love them and the local Goldfinches seem to spend more time in the thistle patch than on the teasel heads.

Fenceposts may be fabulous but it can be a struggle to get up there when you're a Cormorant swimming around the base