Monday morning's early Coombe Wood walk

The pond was cloudy with pollen. Heavy rain should help clear that.

A handsome duck swam for a while, quacked a bit, then took off and flew away above the trees.

A colourful corner

Young green grasshopper.

Long legs! (and interesting knees!)

Poised for take off. 

If you follow my blog you already know why I love these flowers - it's the crinkled petals and the almost luminous middles.

Bee with orange pollen sacs. 

A haze of blue

 Intricate leaf patterns. 

Thalictrum begining to open. 

Smart pathways among the prairie planting. 

In some places the plants are already overhanging those neat bark paths.

There's a red beetle that I haven't seen before under the front seed pod.

A female swollen legged beetle (females don't have swollen legs so I think they could have given them a better name.)

Interesting flowers/seeds on tall stems.

Quaking grass flowers/seeds. 

Looking closer at the foxgloves. 

Little tree with huge leaves. (Paulownia)

Gorgeous stripes and pretty middles. 

Banana trees doing well. 

More foxgloves.

Starry seedpods. 

Acer leaves and seeds. 

A splash of early colour high up. 

A white foxglove. 

Frothy little flowers. 

Cornus. 

More acer seeds. 

Beautiful colour! 

Surprising pops of bright red floating above the purples.

This bee has pale beige coloured pollen sacs. 

I love the structure of poppy middles

Now here's another insect I haven't seen before! 

Sea holly - neat patterns and lovely silvery blue.

The stamens have fallen off and filled the cup-like base of the poppy. Look at those patterns and colours together.

Surprise contrasts as the plants grow bigger and flop into each other.

Alliums fading. 

A flock of alliums

Interlocking flowerheads.

More colour contrasts as plants grow through each other.

Can't resist another poppy! 

A photobombing bee! 

....coming in to land.

Another cluster of foxgloves. 

Squirrel posing. 

Lovely feathery group of flowers and foliage. 

Thank you very much for joining me.