I love plants that are growing on walls and rocks in almost nothing. These daisies were on very old steps at Canons Ashby house mysteriously growing from pure stone they looked stuck on … and very beautiful .

Swallows are swooping over the river this evening. There are huge dragonflies and lots of delicate damselflies along the bank.

Geese , swans and Ducks are noisily flying overhead.

Peering carefully along the edges of the lakes revealed moorhens and ducklings galore.

Cormorants sitting on stumps surrounded by water looking very regal.

Tall clumps of white comfrey along the river very damp underfoot. Bees loving it.

Walking between the lakes in Rushden spotted beautiful large fungus on fallen tree . Really large and perfect ,looked it up they are Dryad Saddles.Latin name Polyporus squamosus can grow to 60 cm in diameter. These specimens were very large about 35/40 cm.

A delicate first damelsfly of the year passed me by this morning. It was too high to identify but was very small and delicate.

The wildflower planting at Rushden Lakes is blooming and looks brilliant.

The water was so clear, the sun was shining and giving a brilliant view of the swans wonderful feet. It is no wonder they glide across the water so effortlessly with these incredible paddles!

A walk through the stinging nettle jungle in the pocket park near home turned into a lovely trip full of surprises.

The Arum lilies are unfurling, I love these, also known as Lords and Ladies or cuckoo pint.

The dead nettles are surrounded by stinging nettles and also in great swaths of their own.

Butterflies are everywhere,a rabbit ran across the path and the bird song was deafening!!

This small area of land is an oasis of flora and fauna I will be watching to see what appears next !!

No photos, but lots of butterflies today in the glorious weather. Orange tips very common today at least 6 seen . Common blue butterflies were enjoying the garden , more than four spotted. Out on scrub land absolutely carpeted in stinging nettles saw a couple of small tortoiseshell butterflies.

Small tortoise shells lay their eggs on stinging nettles I will keep my eye on this patch to see if I can see any caterpillars.

An interesting fly landed on Johns finger while sitting by the lake at Rushden.

It was unusual and had very distinctive wings. After some time in the trusty insects of Britain field guide It was identified as an Alder fly.

some facts about Alder flies

• They are identified by their veins that do not fork at the wing margin.
• Eggs laid in batches of about 200 at waterside.
• Larvae crawl into water and feed off other insects.
• Larvae are slow growing and have seven pairs of feathery gills.
• Pupation occurs in the soil, works it’s way to surface as adult appears.
• Life cycle takes a year adult appears May-June.

A Nature table explorer out walking in Chepstow found a beautiful delicate milkmaid. It was so slender and graceful she has sent a photo . Also known as lady’s smock or cuckoo flower this is because they are in flower when cuckoos can be heard.

Latin name Cardamine pratensis

A nature table explorer badge is on the way to this explorer in Chepstow 🌸