Rolling horses

A couple of horses enjoying a symmetrical roll in the park this morning. 

Obviously great friends.

Gills

Amazing feathery gills on my tadpoles now. Purple, almost transparent. 

I'd been worried that they'd all died, luckily they've perked up again and growing apace.

The Grey Heron

Graceful in its slow flight the Grey Heron is a large bird. The long neck is folded back to make a more streamlined shape in flight. You don't often get to see the feet and sharp talons - they're usually up to their knees in pond water. 

Tadpoles and treecreepers

Quite remarkable how fast the tadpoles are developing. 

Little feathery gills have appeared in the last two days.

And I spotted another treecreeper in the park. They are small (perhaps sparrow-sized) 

and nimble. They fly to the bottom of a tree then work their way up looking for food in the 

cracks in the bark of the oaks. 

Proud parent

First signs of movement in my tadpoles. Thrilled.

Ragwort

 I know I'm antisocial. I don't much like going into the park at the weekend,

it's full of people. I skidded on a bag of dog poo as I went through the gate into the 

Millennium Wood in Bushy Park. 

That annoyed me.

I crept about amongst the saplings avoiding people's glances as I tried to photograph some blossom. It thrashed about in the gusts of wind, but I pretended I knew what I was doing, 

which I didn't.

I came across the dried sticks of ragwort, the same ragwort that I'd photographed last July. 

What an extraordinary comparison - eight months ago it was hosting a mass of orange and black cinnabar moth caterpillars, now the plant was just dried brown sticks. 

The seasonal changes are so dramatic and swift, yet we don't stop to appreciate how 

impressive they are.

Searching for lunch

From this angle the blue tit looked like a tennis ball with a face. It was very interested in what 

was under the bark of the lime tree. 

I found a treecreeper - almost at eye level - only the third time I've seen one in Bushy Park. He was clearly successful in his hunt for food.