Summer

It may not feel like summer, but flora and fauna are getting on with what they do best.  Betony begins to flower in early summer and can soon be seen across the reserve.  It is a food source for many insects.  Andrew took this photograph - thank you.

Fleabane covers the Scrapes but the yellow daisy-like heads can be seen in other places.  In late summer they are an excellent food source for butterflies.

Volunteers hate them.  Small rodents, Roe deer and some insects love the fruits.  Yes I am talking about Blackberries.  They are in flower now and usually bees are flitting from one flower to the next.

Walking around, movement in the vegetation often leads to a discovery of a 'something'.  Sometimes just standing and looking around allows you to see 'something'.  It was two grasshoppers sitting on the boardwalk sunning themsleves.

Using binoculars to look, gives you a whole different experience, concentrating on the distance and not what is in front of you.  It also can lead to getting a fright!  Whilst generally looking to see what was around a loud noise frightened me - a low helicopter?  No it was a dragonfly hawking for insects with its wings making a very loud mechanical noise.  I was thoroughly checked out but I think it decided I was too big to eat!  There again it did come back for a second look.  Damselflies are much quieter and they even sometimes sit still as did this Blue-tailed Damselfly.