Dull Day at Marston Forest Country Park

The Weather was certainly uninspiring as I visited the Country Park at Marston Moretaine, hoping that the mugginess might tempt dragonflies and damselflies onto the wing. On that score I was to be disappointed, as the wind was both gusty and quite strong, and although I caught a fleeting glimpse of one male damselfly I only managed to photograph a dull female.

I was luckier with the butterflies as a male Common Blue stuck around one small area, and did land from time to time. I also captured a Checquered Skipper with its characteristic antennae with floppy socks on the ends. The blossom which I thought surely should be gone from hawthorn bushes by June was still in abundance and fresh. One bee was still managing to fight the gusting wind despite carrying a very full load of pollen like saddlebags. And as I returned via the walkway through the reedbeds, I spotted that the birds were being so careless with their feeding that several lazy squirrels did not need to find their way to the feeder as there was a plentiful supply of nuts beneath.

I would like to visit later when there is greater warmth and a better chance of shooting dragonflies as they remain a fair challenge to capture them in flight.