Oldest Newest



Summer Leys

20th April 2026

A mild and sunny April Day was perfect for a stroll around the ever popular Summer Leys Nature Reserve. Spring was zooming along and there was plenty to see:

A single yellow buttercup flower on a long slender green stem is soaking up the sun.
Resting on a leaf is a medium sized Hoverfly whose head and thorax are covered with golden brown hairs and beneath the folded wings is the black and yellow banded abdomen.
A female Ashy Mining Bee with rear legs covered in yellow pollen and otherwise mostly black with two bands of long light grey hairs on her abdomen and a further patch on the front of her head.
A rotund Bee Fly with long golden hairs has its long proboscis deep inside a funnel shaped pale blue Ground Ivy flower.
A small flower of Common Storks Bill almost entriely a deep pink colour with five long petals and stamens the same colour.
On top of a single stem of Cukooflower are several delicate white to pale lilac flowers with four broad peatls and pale green centres.
A single very delicate looking Horse Chestnut flower almost translucent in white with pale yellow towards the inner and long white stamens with peach coloured anthers.
A small group of Crab Apple flowers with some yet to open fully and others fully open displaying five white pink tinged broad petals with white stamens and pale yellow stamens in the centre.
A 7 Spot Ladybird sits in the middle of a cluster of Hawthorn flowers with broad white petals a creamish centre with white stamens and brown anthers.
A Harlequin Ladybird with lots of black spots on its bright red elytra and a white pronotum with black markings in the shape of the letter M.
A small bright red Ladybird with just two spots on its elytra is walking acroos a large green leaf.
A Speckled Wood Butterfly with open wings which are mostly a pale brown colour with plentiful cream blotches.
A colourful Peacock Butterfly with open wings is soaking up the sun on top of a wooden fence.


Buttercups were starting to flower in places

A single yellow buttercup flower on a long slender green stem is soaking up the sun.





Storton's Pits

14th April 2026

Having an hour or so to spare on a windy but pleasant morning I took a quick stroll around Storton's Pits. The Nature Reserve is next to busy industrial estates, clanging, banging and birdsong!

A tall slender lift tower dominates the skyline with a glimpse of meadow and hedgerow in the foreground.
A large black and dull yellow Hoverfly is taking a break on a large green leaf.
Nestled amongst some foliage is a Harlequin Ladybird
A male Orange Tip Butterfly at rest with folded wings showing the large orange patch on the tip of its white upperwings and the greenish brown pattern on the underwings.
A brightly coloured Peacock Butterfly with partially folded wings is resting on a large leaf.
A medium sized bee with a black body and covered in cream coloured hairs which are a little more gingery coloured around the thorax.
A rather furry Bee Fly is feeding from a Ground Ivy flower using its long proboscis.
A medium sized pristine golden yellow and black Hoverfly is investigating a large yellow Dandelion flower.
Delicate looking pale lilac to white flowers of Cardamine pratensis with four broad petals and pale green centres.
A Common Green Shieldbug unsurprisingly rather green in colour with pinkish red tips to its legs and antennae.


You can see the old lift tower from almost every point of the Nature Reserve

A tall slender lift tower dominates the skyline with a glimpse of meadow and hedgerow in the foreground.





Glapthorn Cow Pastures

8th April 2026

A lovely sunny day in early April and my Mum fancied a little walk at Glapthorn Cow Pastures. We didn't have too long a walk but it was really quite delightful with blossom on the trees and hedges and plenty of buzzing insects

A view of a narrow grassy path in the woods with white Blackthorn blossom lining the edges and fresh green leaves.
A small clump of Blackthorn Blossom showing the five broad white petals with pale green centres and long stamens.
A small group of pink and white flower buds surround an opened Crab Apple flower with five large white petals and shortish white stamens.
A single Violet flower with five large purple petals which lead in to a lighter centre.
A pale purple funnel shaped Ground Ivy flower is host to a visiting 16 Spot Ladybird which is a pale cream colour with black spots.
A brown hairy Bee Fly is soaking up the sun on a small patch of old brown leaves.
A Celandine flower is hosting a colourful solitary bee mostly black but with orange hairs on its thorax and the tip of its abdomen and short creamish hairs elsewhere.
A single stem of blue to lilac Bluebells yet to open fully and pictured against a backdrop of wintery brown undergrowth.


The woods looked lovely in the sun

A view of a narrow grassy path in the woods with white Blackthorn blossom lining the edges and fresh green leaves.