Short walk along Nottingham canal and damselflies, birds and flowers in Attenborough Nature Reserve - 26th and 27th May 2026

I travelled to Nottingham with a few friends for a three-night stay towards the end of May

After checking into the hotel, we wandered along the Nottingham canal

This boat had been on fire and was sinking at the side of the canal

Strange bird on one of the canal boats

The next morning we got a bus to the Attenborough nature reserve, where a power station could be seen at the other side of the main lake

There were lots of damselflies in the reserve - here are several Blue-tailed damselflies

and a pair of mating Common damselflies

and a male Banded Demoiselle

A pair of Tufted ducks could be seen on the main lake

Further round the reserve, we came across several Painted Lady butterflies

A Great Crested Grebe was sitting on a nest at the edge of one of the little islands in the lake

Female Banded Demoiselle damselfly on leaves in front of one of the bird hides

Two female Banded Demoiselles

Little Egret standing in shallow water at the edge of the lake

Silver-ground Carpet moth on a leaf at the edge of one of the paths in the reserve

Rear view of a Great Crested Grebe

Another Great Crested Grebe on a nest in the middle of the lake

and a Great Crested Grebe on a nest near the Visitor Centre - with a helpful nest-building mate!

Lovely Water Irises in front of the Visitor Centre

and Water Lilies at the back of the Visitor Centre

Common Terns were perching on a Tern Raft on the lake

Female Mallard with seven small ducklings on the pond near Attenborough village

Mauve Rhododendrons in front of Attenborough church

Beautiful flowers in a front garden in Attenborough village

Wildlife and flowers in Battersea Park, London, towards the end of September 2025

Adult Great Crested Grebe feeding a fish to a juvenile at the back of the lake

There were still some lovely flowers in the Old English Garden

Grey Wagtail at the edge of the pond with its back to me before it flew away

Speckled Wood butterfly resting on a leaf

A few beautiful Water Lilies were in flower

Grey Heron standing at the edge of the pond

decided to sunbathe

Pretty orange flower

Grey Squirrel standing by a large plant container in a dark part of the garden

 

Birds and flowers in Battersea Park - 4th August 2024

I began my walk at the lake where I saw mum Tufted duck with a row of six cute fluffy ducklings

The Mandarin drakes had lost most of their fancy-feathered summer breeding plumage and were resembling the duller-coloured females - apart from still having red beaks

Pair of Egyptian geese with five large fluffy goslings

Male Black-tailed Skimmer dragonfly on the path at the edge of the lake

After walking round part of the lake I made my way to the Old English Garden where a Damselfly was resting on the side of a white Water Lily

There were a few very tall Cardoons

...and this large seed head

There were lots of lovely Water Lilies on the pond in the centre of the Old English Garden

There were also Globe Thistles

...beautiful Agapanthus

...pretty white flowers

...and tall lemon Hollyhocks

A White butterfly with tattered wings landed on a flower

There were lovely pink and white Cosmos in flowerbeds near the river

Back at the lake a Great Crested Grebe was with a juvenile

In the distance, a large female dragonfly was ovipositing into the water

A young Grey Heron was standing at the edge of the lake

The Egyptian geese family that I had seen earlier resting at the edge of the lake were now on the move

A female Common Pochard was with two young ducklings