Nature Journal: Week Seven

May 11th 2020⁣⁣
Found several freshly emerged dragonflies yesterday, clinging to vegetation close to the now empty cases of their nymph bodies. Metamorphosis (almost) in action. We think this is a young male scarce chaser. ⁣

May 14th 2020⁣
A windy day yesterday delivered golden treasures from the canopy. The workings of pine cone creation normally go on unnoticed above our heads but this fallen branch gave us the chance to look at a male pollen bearing cone in more detail. Pines have male and female cones on the same tree - the pollen from these male cones drifts on the wind to the tiny female cones which if successfully pollinated grow into the familiar woody pine cone.

May 20th 2020⁣
A great spotted woodpecker and very demanding chick nesting in a hollow in a grey poplar along the stream bank. The adult male delivered freshly caught moths and spiders to the chick at least every four minutes! Love the bright red patch on the chick's head.

May 21st 2020⁣
⁣We paddled in the stream today to get a closer look at the damselflies darting in and out of the light and shade and hunting for flies just above the surface of the water. If you held your hand out for long enough they would rest on your skin as if it were a blade of pendulous sedge. We watched one devour a fly whilst perched on Emma’s hand and enjoyed the sound of water gurgling and the breeze rustling through the leaves of the alder and poplar.