A walk in the meadow yesterday was literally full of butterflies. They were flitting in and over the tall grasses . It is an insects paradise !

This green veined white was really enjoying the bramble which are festooned with flowers.

I love it in flight, you can make out its coiled proboscis.

There were meadow brown butterflies and ringlets and gate keepers as well as large numbers of skippers which I’ve really fallen in love with this year.

Along with all these butterflies there is a constant moving backdrop of shimmering dancing damselflies wherever you look.

It is so beautiful in this meadow and so unexpected so close to major roads and the new shops. Brilliant !The gatekeeper butterfly and a skipper below.

This tiny Damselfly was so tiny and delicate like a wisp of silver absolutely gorgeous.

This gorgeous bug caught my eye , it was literally at head height.

It is a Apolygus spinolae

Insects belonging to the order Hymenoptera are commonly known as bugs. There are 1700 species of bugs in Britain. They all have the piecing mouthpart rather like a needle to suck juices from plants and animals.

This specimen was found on thistle , the book says often found on thistles, meadowsweet brambles and nettles . There will probably be a lot of these around to be discovered once you get your eye in !

Yesterday I walked a new path through Northampton following the river through the park where the water was almost pond like( this must be a channel separate from the Nene) This water was teeming with fish . Further on the path skirted some locks and the main river appeared and we walked behind the Carlsberg brewery ( which is huge) there was a definite undertone of hops in the air !

There were lots of swans on the river here but also this Greylag goose (Anser anser) and six goslings and a Canada goose all part of same family. Canada geese and grey lag geese interbreed .

In Scotland the wintering flocks of grey lag geese are really wild and not cross bred.

These geese were lovely to watch, they moved about the river in an organised line an adult at each end rather like a fluffy flotilla. When the saw us the quickly changed direction and also charged towards us, I think they must get some lunchtime feeding from people on their breaks .

Bulrush ( Typha latifolia) is a common sight on a walk around rivers and lakes.

I found out something interesting today :-the brown cigar shaped flower known as a spadix is made up of the female part which is brown and then on closer inspection a straw coloured part at the top which is the male part and grows continuous from the female. These are actually made up of closely packed tiny flowers surrounded by hairs . It is really obvious in the photo below I’m surprised I haven’t noticed it before.In the Autumn the seed heads break up and fluffy seeds are dispersed on the wind .

These spikes offer a great place to perch or rest which is what the Damselflies were doing.

The bulrush has not been used for much in Britain but in North America the Paiute Indians based their economy on this species. The pollen was used for flour the stems and leaves were used to make boats.

The sun was bright and the water was so clear that the fascinating world of fish was revealed today. The Food chains below water were played out. We caught sight of a young pike , it actually caught and ate something as we watched!

There were shoals of fish from really tiny to good sized. There were stripy tench and hundreds of small fish seemingly playing follow me leader !

The way they moved was fascinating and I spent ages just watching them.

Below is a short video of the travelling fish.

Here is a video of the Damselflies busy at the surface but look carefully on the left for the tiny fish.

The underwater world was full of interest today the plants looked out of this world !

A great time at the lake.

Thanks to Jemma a Nature table explorer with a keen eye . On an evening walk through swarms of flies she found these chubby cinnabar moth caterpillars still eating at 9pm .

On the same strolla heron flew by , a coot settled down to sleep on one leg. We saw a sleeping butterfly an enormous dragonfly still hunting but no sign of the gorgeous cows.

A Nature table explorer badge is winging its way to Jemma 😀

The amazing weather is still here and the sky is so blue,almost painted across the horizons. These were the skies we had when living in America I often say the sky is ‘Minnesota Blue’!

The lake reflecting blue sky with Meadowsweet along the banks with purple grasses.

Sitting in the grasses , the insects create a summer hum it feels like the prairies rather than a meadow in Northamptonshire!

Thistles look even more beautiful against the blue backdrop .

Hogweed almost stretching up to the light .

This run of hot clear weather is unusual and the plants and insects this year have been brilliant to discover . Hopefully there will be plenty more blue sky days this summer for nature table exploring !

I am at the Music school in Northampton most days of the week and spend a lot of time parked next to the red brick Victorian walis. These walls have some lovely plants growing on them . These lovely little ferns are anchored in the mortar. They are called Maidenhair Spleenwort – Asplenium trichomanes.

There are different plants around the walls , these deserve a closer look and a wall safari – watch this space !

I have a perfect little pineapple plant .It looks so great as it is ripening I wanted to share its perfection. • Scientific name: Ananas comosus

• Family: Bromeliaceae

Pineapple belongs to the order Bromeliales, family Bromeliaceae, sub-family Bromelioideae. The Bromeliaceae have adapted to a very wide range of habitats.

Interestingly the pineapple is made from hundreds of fruits fused together.

I’m hoping that this little beauty is tasty !

Imagine you are on a quest leaving middle earth on the path through Lothlorien ( the eleven lands) I think these trees would fit in rather well. They are decorated, almost enshrined in willow ‘fluff,’ the light gave them a magical feel .