Millpool Today

I spent a very pleasant couple of quiet hours taking random images both on and around the tranquil Millpond earlier today

A Wrinkly Red-faced Male Muscovy Duck that seems to have become the meeter and greeter to all who visit the Millpool.

Honey Bee collecting Pollen

Goldfinch stripping seeds from Thistle heads

Red admiral warming up on the lane !

Female Emperor ovipositing

Common Darter

Millpool Life

I spend much of yesterday fishing at the Millpool but the fish were not biting to well so I set up my camera and whiled the time away admiring the flora and fauna.

The Millpool water lily are showing at their best with gorgeous large red and green veined pads,

A fit looking Red admiral was taking advantage sucking in the nectar from the last few Buddilea blooms

I was attracted to this Cross Orb Weaver Spider that was sat in on the back of its large dew covered web with the ends of each of its sensitive legs set to feel the whole of its web area as
'Like me it waited for a bite'.

Aptly named 'Beautiful Demoiselle' this lone metalic green-blue dragonfly was very skitty and only gave me one chance before it was off to find a quieter sun spot

I gave up on my fishing around mid afternoon and ambled along the lane towards home bagging some large juicy blackberries on the way,

As I went along I disturbed a colourful male Southern Hawker Dragonfly  on the brambles which fortunately resettled again close by to provide me with another 'first' for this year

And my last subject was this lovely Painted Lady Butterfly which seemed attracted to some fallen leaves to which it kept returning a little further along alone the lane.

Perhaps not the best of fishing days but I was happy just admiring Millpool life and went home looking forward to making another pot or two of Bramble Jelly !!.

Millpool Butterflies

The portfolio of colourful butterflies below have all been taken in the habitat surrounding the Millpool within the last couple of weeks.

THe magnificent Peacock butterfly is just one that is highly attracted to the visual colour and scent of the buddleia trees flowers in the area,

Heat seeking Red admiral are abundant and always on the lookout for good sun spots to bask from while turning their backs to wards the sun.

Painted Lady are also keen to soak up the warmth of the sun and seem to like open stoney ground to bask in

 Perhaps not so common at this location are the smaller but striking colours and wing pattern of the wall brown.

Another portrait image of the Peacock butterfly,  this time sunbathing on stoney ground

The local Buddleia trees are also popular with the Small Tortoiseshell butterfly with their gorgeous  orange,black and yellow wings with mosiac blue effect completing the detail.

The distinctive shape of the Comma's wing shape make it an east one to identify but this was the only one seen at this location