Tread Quietly, Tread Gently

Now that it has warmed up and the biting winds have dropped a little it is time to take a stroll around the reserve.  Leaves now cover most of the trees so sometimes the only way to know that the birds are around is to listen to their calls.  Take time to stop and listen.

Walking quietly and gently, look for something that does not look 'right'.  A red mark on a leaf turns out to be a Large Red Damselfly.

Another red mark was a Cardinal Beetle.  Stealth was the only way to take a photograph, as insects have the ability just to fall off their perch, which is annoying for the photographer, but keeps the insects safe from predators.

One pond in the Scrapes is full of Bogbean.  This flower does not remain in flower for long.  The flowers that open first have set seed before those flowers at the top of the stem.

Another white flower, the Daisy,  is a common sight around the reserve.