Monday morning Coombe Wood walk

As I parked I noticed that the carpet of cyclamens has grown even thicker so I walked over and took photos through the wire mesh fence.

As I turned towards the entrance gate the two riders I've seen passing by before, paused to let a lorry pass. I asked if I could stroke the horses and was very pleased that the answer was yes. I could easily have spent longer stroking the horses lovely soft gentle noses but I didn't want to delay the riders too much.

Insects have eaten holes in some of the flowers but the bees are still enjoying the pollen.

The bulrushes are looking very bedraggled after the rain.

A cloud of little pink fuchsia flowers dance and bob as bees clamber up inside them.

The leaves lower down the stem are still green but the leaves at the top have faded and turned soft bronzy colours.

Just around the corner some tiny white bobbles (buds or berries?) hide among the variegated leaves.

A mass of pinky grass seed heads.

Many have white plumes on them. 

Looking closer. 

There were so many bees today but unlike the other day, I didn't see any with pollen sacs. Today they were all the kind of bees that collect pollen on their hairy bodies.

I didn't see that little caterpillar when I took the photo of the bee!

Arching stripy leaves. 

Tall grasses but their seeds aren't floating high about the leaves like many of the others are, they're peeping out from lower down.

Serrated edged leaves changing colour. 

 Faces turned to the sun. 

These berries fascinate me. The colours are so extreme!

 Pampas grass. 

One of the "unidentified" wild flowers - the hooks on the spikes look like crochet hooks but they are sharp and they hurt. The seeds are clearly visible inside, beneath their tufty tops.

 Some of these seeds are almost falling out. 

A closer look at the pampas grass - there are tiny seeds dangling from the fluffy plumes.

A couple of teasels have been left in the area that had been covered in grasses and wildflowers but which was mowed a little while ago.

Looking down from above.

There are berries on the yew hedge now. This one looks as if it is wearing a satin belt.

This one is a more normal shape and colour. 

Another happy bee

A starry middle.

The dried curled leaves on the fallen branch are very crisp and brittle now and most of the beech nuts have emptied themselves - but there are a few still in their shells.

 This bee has tiny pollen grains on its wings as well as elsewhere. 

There's quite a lot of pollen on this one's leg. Their legs further back have tiny hairs which are used like combs to remove the pollen from all over their bodies when they get back to their hive,.

This bee has a collection of big pollen grains at the back of its neck. This photo shows the segmented antennae really clearly.

Hover fly. 

 This bee has a lot of pollen on it's legs. 

 Seed pods.

There are a lot of little white feathers around the gardens. 

 These were yellow flowers - now they're fluffy white seeds. 

I thought this was a dried bit of plant on the fluffy seeds but looking closer I think it might be a spider.

More bees. 

 Shimmering purple 

This fuchsia looks as if something has tried to nibble it but has failed to get far. There are little dents in the purple "skirt".

Unusual brush like top of a euphorbia. 

 Drainage grill - I like the way the squares have accumulated a natural collection in them.

Several snails have made their home in the remains of the euphorbia flower.

Another different fuchsia. 

Gorgeous deep colours. 

Delicate stamens sticking out like forked tongues.

There's a bee clambering into one of the purple trumpets.

Rose hips. 

Orange tube-like flowers with orangy yellow around each opening.

Some of the rose-hips are orange.

 Clematis. 

Hops

Tiny alpine plants in the trough. 

Miniscule flowers. 

The tip of my index finger next to one of the tiny flowers.

Back to the pond. The gunnera flowers are flopping over.

Some of the fish are enormous. 

Thank you very much for joining me.