Sunday, 7 September 2025

Wildlife at Walthamstow Wetlands on 14th August 2025

I visited Walthamstow Wetlands on a sunny day in the middle of August and firstly went to the bridge  over the stream on the main road.  

There I saw of pair of mating Willow Emerald damselflies

also a female Banded Demoiselle damselfly

and a male Banded Demoiselle damselfly

and a Migrant Hawker dragonfly

Over the road in the other part of the Wetlands, I saw a beautiful Waterlily in a small pool

I walked along a path at the edge of one of the reservoirs where a young Grey Heron was hiding from me

It moved onto a shrub near a blackberry hedge at the edge of the stream

A tiny blue butterfly was resting on the edge of a leaf

View of one of the imposing tall electricity pylons on the site

Multi-spotted Ladybird on a patch of yellow flowers

Three juvenile Tufted ducklings swam in unison along the stream

A juvenile Grebe was lurking near some waterlily pads

A parent was skulking near reeds at the edge of the stream

I was lucky enough to get a view of a Kingfisher with a fish in its beak


A Little Egret was standing in nearby shallow water

A Terrapin came up for some air - I originally thought it was dead because it was motionless for some time but, when I went past the same spot a little later, it had gone

Pair of mating Common Blue damselflies attached to a twig

Large juvenile Great Crested Grebe swimming in one of the reservoirs

There was an adult Great Crested Grebe with two unevenly-sized chicks in the distance

 

Thursday, 28 August 2025

Flowers in the Evolution Garden and Waterlily house, plus butterflies and a fox in Kew Gardens - mid July 2025

Gorgeous Day Lily in the Evolution Gardens - it was the first time I had visited this part of Kew Gardens and it was amazing on a sunny July day


Bee-spotting lesson!


 
and Grapes

Large ladybird on top of one of the posts in the kitchen garden

Large bee in a pink Rose in the Evolution Garden

Shrub with fancy rose-coloured flowers

Very tall Sunflower

Absolutely beautiful multi-coloured pink roses on the end of a stem


Large Artichoke or Cardoon

Orange trumpet-shaped flowers - Campsis Radicans

White Crinium Lilies with the Agapanthus in the background

Large group of orange flowers - with one tiny red flower joining them!


View from the Evolution Garden with a temple in the background


Spiky yellow petals with a bee in the centre

Purple Waterlily in the Waterlily House

Pretty pink Waterlily

Two mauve Waterlilies with a reflection of the roof in the water 

Lovely tall white Waterlily

Huge Waterlily pads

Red-eyed Damselfly on a plant near the bridge over the lake 

Female Tufted duck with duckling standing by shrubs at the edge of the lake

Hybrid goose - maybe Domestic/Greylag mix???

Common Blue damselfly on an iris leaf at the edge of the lake

Meadow Brown butterfly on mauve thistle-like flower


Pair of mating Common Blue damselflies

Crafty fox

View of Syon House on the other side of the Thames

Gatekeeper butterfly on Ragwort in the woodland garden