Busy bees!

A friend kindly showed me her nest box full of carpenter bees.  

An evening at Radley Lakes

Popped out for an evening at Radley Lakes.  Enjoyed being outside.

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust guest blogs

Very excited to have been asked to write guest blogs for Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.  They are called "How I got into nature" and "Getting into nature".

Out and about

Decided to pop out to Radley Lakes in the afternoon to do some nature spotting.  The weather was very variable.  One minute it was bright sunshine, the next it was heavy showers.  The wind was so strong my tripod was wobbling around.  I am pleased we went as we saw young coots and goslings, swallows and swifts as well as a damselfly.

Shot of the day!

Gosling

Young coots on nest

Back home in the garden I enjoyed feeding and photographing garden birds.

Found this egg on the ground.

Pond dipping with Abingdon Naturalists' Society

Good day out pond dipping with Abingdon Naturalists' Society and expert Dr Jeremy Biggs of the Freshwater Habitats Trust.  My favourite moment of the day was catching a smooth newt.  Great to see so much wildlife on my doorstep.  Enjoyed learning to recognise more bird song.  We heard a reed warbler, song thrush, willow warbler, green woodpecker and much more.

(Taken by Mum)

Water mint (taken by Mum)

(Taken by Mum)

Toad tadpoles

Caddisfly larvae

Great diving beetle larvae

Dragonfly larvae

Caddisfly larvae

Smooth newt

(Taken by Mum)

(Taken by Mum)

Early marsh orchid

Cuckoo flower

Summer snowflake or loddon lily

Dr Jeremy Biggs in action

Water violet

Comparing ramshorn snails (taken by Mum)

Me excited to have caught a smooth newt (taken by Mum)

(Taken by Mum)

My shot of the day!