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Found in Nature March and April 2023

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Here are some wonderful images that were submitted throughout the months of March and April 2023. Thank you to all those who have submitted their photos.

a dried up curling flower (seed head)

Remains of the Day - Eclipse of a Sunflower Seed Head

Taken in Baddesley Clinton National Trust property. I had admired the "Sunflowers" when first seen in full bloom in late summer, but I was taken aback by the exquisite form of the "Sunflowers Seed Heads" in late autumn - truly one of natures creations .

Terry
Balsall Common u3a

two geese flying across water. their beaks are orange and they are grey.

Greylag Geese

Found in RSPB Bowers Marsh, South Essex. Beautiful bright-but-cold day at a nearby nature reserve provided excellent conditions for some bird-in-flight shots, which are definitely not my forte! The Greylags offered great target practice!

Richard
Leigh Estuary u3a

a small brown bird on a treestump

Pipit on a Post

Found in RSPB Bowers Marsh, South Essex. As I left Bowers Marsh after a morning watching and 'shooting' birds on and around the water, this Meadow Pipit was 'put-up' by a dog/walker. Happily it settled on this post just long enough for me to catch this shot.

Richard
Leigh Estuary u3a

a big bird standing in water. it is grey with a long yellow beak. there is something in its mouth

What's For Lunch

High Batts North Yorkshire. The Heron caught this in some bushes behind the pond and then ran down to the pond and dunked the catch in the water twice. not sure whether it was watching it or trying to drown.

Steve
Northallerton u3a

a black dog looks to the left as it sits in front of a waterfall in a crag. Rocky background.

Dog and Waterfall

At Beck Hole, Goathland. My black Labrador looking magnificent with the Beck Hole waterfall behind.

Ocean
York u3a

a white butterfly with a black spot on its wing and yellow edges to its wings

Butterfly in search of Nectar

At Packwood House National Trust property in Solihull. I just think that "Butterflies are exquisite and delicate creatures of nature." There's often some minute difference in each one that we are lucky enough to see.

Terry
Balsall Common u3a

a yellow/ white pony with black spots on grass. Its head is facing the camera, its body facing forward

I’m rather attractive don’t you think?

Wandering through the beautiful countryside in the Cotswolds I came across this nice looking chap.

Ruth
Leigh Estuary u3a

a bigger brown bird with its talk covering a smaller grey pigeon

Female Sparrowhawk with Feral Pigeon

Timperley, Altrincham. The Sparrowhawk struck at a group of birds near our bird table, then tried to fly up towards the roof. Due to the weight/Distance it couldn't make the height and crashed into our patio window. After a few moments it then flew down the garden and landed near the pond where it started to pluck feathers before eventually moving further down the garden underneath the hedge. It flew away sometime later, but returned the following day to finish off its meal. I last saw it carrying what remained of the carcass while being mobbed by a rook.

Alan
Hale & District u3a

a green and brown frog on wet muddy ground

A frog with attitude

Found in Backmuir Woods near Dundee. This muscular frog looks like it has been to the gym.

Mike
Dundee u3a

6 stags in the distance, a snowy mountainous landscape behind them

Stag Party

On the plateau between Mayar and Driesh, our local Munro’s. I was surprised to find six stags still with magnificent antlers, must be nearly time for them to be shed. Zoom in and you will see one has a broken antler, maybe a legacy from last years rut.

Mike
Dundee u3a

a black swan with its long beck and red beak in its back feathers

Black Swan

At Dawlish Warren. I just loved the pose of this beautiful black swan.

Sue
Newquay u3a

two brown deer with their antlers interlocked, as though they are fighting. green grass.

Rutting Deer

In Calke Abbey - Derbyshire. We were walking around the edge of the deer park at Calke Abbey when we came upon these two deer having a fight.

Peter
Balsall Common u3a

a yellow bird with a red head and black beak, which is pecking at the grass

Green Woodpecker

Several times during February and March this Green Woodpecker visited our back garden. It would spend up to an hour at a time, using it's strong beak to dig into ant colonies in the lawn and eat the inhabitants.

Peter
Balsall Common u3a

a large tree growing out of water, with many tangled thick brown branches in all directions

Fire and Water!

Near Perth, Western Australia. On a walkabout near Perth, I asked about this plant. It burns and then regenerates. In such liquid surroundings too!

Maurice
Sully u3a

a grey bird with an orange beak with its wings spread out, and an orange beak

Ready for Take Off

Martin Mere, Wetlands and Wildlife Trust, Burscough, Lancashire. A Greylag goose stretching it's wings. Taken during a pleasant afternoon spent with the birdwatching Group from Up Holland. It's a regular haunt and never disappoints.

Lance
Up Holland and District u3a

A single purple flower with circular ends (grape hyacinth) in a patio

The rogue in my patio

Found in my garden

Eve
Preston Park Brighton u3a

small yellow flowers in green grass

Wild Daffodils

Found in Dymock, Gloucestershire. Wild daffodils are a feature of woodland and hedgerows around the Newent area of west Gloucestershire in mid to late March.

Liz
Gloucester and District u3a

Yellowing dried foliage in the foreground, pink flowers in teh background. There is a tree stump on the right of the photo.

Glory in late Summer

Even though it was the end of summer, the plant foliage still possessed such vibrant colours and the lasting effects of a hot summer. For me a sight not to be missed.

Terry
Balsall Common u3a

a small grey bird with a black beak and yellow line on its head. on concrete ground.

Firecrest Casualty

In Coggeshall, Essex. This Firecrest, our smallest English bird I believe, flew headfirst into my patio window, it sat on my patio in a stunned condition, not moving. After 20 minutes I was glad to see that the poor bird had started moving and then flew away.

Alan
Witham & District u3a

a grey squirrel clinging to a leg in dark blue jeans with blue trainers.

Leg Climbing Baby Squirrel

Oulton, Stone, Staffordshire. I was walking along the lane when a tiny baby squirrel ran across the road and climbed up my leg. When it reached my thigh I picked it up, stroked it and placed it on the ground, whereupon it promptly climbed up my other leg!

Mary
Stone u3a

Hair Ice

Goyt Valley, Derbyshire. Hair ice is a rare type of ice formation where the presence of a particular fungus in rotting wood produces thin strands of ice which resemble hair or candy floss. The conditions required for the formation of this ice are extremely specific. To form, moist rotting wood from a broadleaf tree is required with the presence of moist air and a temperature slightly below 0 °C. It is generally confined to latitudes between 45°N and 55°N. Seems we got lucky then, this photo was taken on 17th Jan 2023 out on a walk with the Congleton u3a Walking group. A perfect day apparently!

Sue
Congleton u3a

a grey bird with yellow beak close up. it is staring at the camera.

Buzzard Waiting for a Meal

Spotted in my garden.

Janet
Radcliffe-on-Trent u3a

a bird on grass, with a huge plume of white and black feathers. its neck is royal blue, with a sharp beak and small head.

Look at my Feathers

One of seven peacocks/hens of different colours, wandering around my garden and village in Norfolk.

Josephine
Beccles u3a

the intricate patterns in rock. They are vertical and hav many lines.

Gneiss Patterns

Seen in Harris in the Outer Hebrides. This rock formation of granitic gneisses was found near Husinish, a remote place on the west coast of Harris in the Outer Hebrides. The settlement lies at the end of a 12 mile long single track road. These rocks are around 2 billion years old.

Jim
Balsall Common u3a

Lots of small shells, white brown and orange. The photo is zoomed on on them.

Queenie Shells

These broken queenie (queen scallop) shells have been washed up onto Fenella Beach from a dump used by fishermen which is situated around the headland. This beach is located in Peel on the Isle of Man. It takes its name from the character in Sir Walter Scott’s 1823 novel ‘Peveril of the Peak’ which was set around Peel Castle.

Jim
Balsalll Common u3a

two sea gulls with yellow beaks, grey tail feathesr and white heads fighting over some food in a car park

Tussle for a Mussel

Went to Caernarfon while visiting one of my daughters who was at the University of Bangor. It was a grey day and the car park next to the castle was quite empty but there were these two gulls fighting over a mussel.

Alan
Solihull Widney u3a

a field with green grass and hundreds of small yellow daffodil flowers

Wild daffodils

Myddleton Hall, Enfield. Such a treat to see wild daffodils with scillas too.

Pat
Crouch End u3a

an orange fox looking back, in a field with yellow flowers

Fox in the Border

Seen at Walmer Castle. We had seen this young fox lurking in the hedgerow and sat down to see if it would reveal more of itself, which it did, cautiously at first and then with no regard for us at all.

Graham
Belper u3a

Fish and chips anyone?

Spotted in Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Whilst eating our fish and chips a local seagull was trying to open a discarded fish and chip wrapping.

Ginny
Tiptree u3a

a grey bird with a long white beak looking up at the sky between two tree branches

Heron at Leasowes Park

Heron perched on a branch at the main lake at Leasowes Park, Halesowen

Maggie
Stourbridge u3a

a thick brown/ orange worm in a swirl on the ground

Slow Worm

Slow worm appeared on daily basis for about a week sunning itself , then went on its way

Dave
Maldon Limebrook u3a

a brown small four legged animal with fur and a cute face and small nose and tail on green grass.

Mink on the Run

Found on the River Ure in North Yorkshire. Not what everybody wants to see in a nature reserve a mink but it does look kind of cute

Steve
Northallerton u3a

a small orange and black striped bee on a yellow flower

Royal Tapestry

A queen Buff-tailed bumble bee (Bombus terrestris) amongst flowers in a Willow tree. Willow is a key source of early fodder for bumble bees and there were three queens feasting in this one. Not a great shot of the bee but I just like the result!

Richard
Leigh Estuary u3a

A small bird on a post. red breast and brown tail, tiny beak. looking upwards.

Robin

Found in my village in South Derbyshire. During lockdown, I was out for my one hour daily exercise when this robin landed on a nearby gate-post and cheekily posed for a photograph to be taken.

Mike
Mebourne Area Derby u3a

Toad Rescue

I am a 'Toad Patroller' and rescued this pair of toads from a drain, where they would surely have perished. The toad's ancestral breeding grounds (farmland with ponds) is now a housing estate. This means that, not only do the toads have to risk their lives crossing roads that didn't exist before the houses were built, they also fall down the flood drains at the side of the roads. During the spring breeding season, Toad Patrol volunteers collect the toads and carry them to the nearest pond. For more information, go to www.froglife.org.

Janina
Charnwood u3a

Long Billed Curlew

This was taken in California on a beach walk.

Tina
Balsall Common u3a

a small gecko on a rock in the sun, clear sea in the background

‘Sun bathing, I’m feeling a bit pasty’

Spotted in Cyprus on Good Friday on a long walk to Cape Greco.

Ruth
Leigh Estuary u3a

circular patterns in sand, with water in gaps.

Patterns in the Sand

Found on the North East Coast

Karen
Balsall Common u3a

four black small birds swimming on water with red heads and yellow feathers around their heads

Coot Chicks

Very lucky to find a number of Coot chicks out for a swim with their parents at my local park in Prestwich. They were kept well away from the bank and hadn't quite got the hang of swimming in line. I'm sure it will only be a matter of days. I'd never seen them so young and was amazed they were so un-coot like. Very strange looking bird, but I'm sure their mother loves them.

Shane
Bury u3a

seven grey baby swans on water with black beaks and soft furry backs.

Seven Swans a Swimming

Found in Elmdon Park, Sheldon.

Karen
Balsall Common u3a

A Beautiful Lady

Found on Two Island in the Thames Estuary. This is a female Andrena fulva (Tawny Mining bee), one of our most striking solitary bees. There are around 250 species of solitary bee in UK and I spend many of my spring/summer days trying to find and photograph them.

Richard
Leigh Estuary u3a

a zooomed in photo of a small brown insect clinging on to a green stem of a plant/ grass

Weevil

Found in Colliery Woods, Chester-le-Street. A macro shot of a very small insect.

Lyn
Cestria Chester-le-Street u3a

a black pheasant looking directly at the camera, zoomed in on its head. Red sides of the head and a white beak. It looks curious.

Curious Pheasant

At Essex Wildlife Trust Reserve Fingringhoe. Watching you, watching me.

Graham
Leigh Estuary u3a

a zoom in of bluebells. They look purple!

Bluebell

Found in Hay Wood, Warwickshire.

Karen
Balsall Common u3a

Two birds on rocks by the sea. they are black with long red legs and long red beaks and a white breast.

Three Oystercatchers

St Michael’s Island near Castletown in the Isle of Man. This photo shows how difficult it can be to spot these wading birds when they walk amongst seaweed covered rocks. Just as I pressed the shutter on the camera the one on the right decided to turn his head away from me. They often give their presence away with a loud “peep-ing” call. They hunt on rocky or muddy shores for shellfish to eat.

Jim
Balsall Common u3a

on the left a penguin. white breaks and back black. looking across the sea

Chinstrap Penguin

Taken on South Shetland Island. Antarctica. There were thousands of penguins, Chinstraps, Adele and Gentoo.

Yvonne
Crowborough u3a

snow on rocky mountains, with water in the foreground

Nature's Patterns

Taken on Deception Island, Antarctica. I was fascinated by the patterns of the snow.

Yvonne
Crowborough u3a

a heron in the distance behind grass with water in the background. a snake is wrapped around its beak.

Purple Heron with Snake

Seen in India. I first spotted this bird on the bank on other side of river. At first I could see that it looked odd, but as it came closer I could see that it had a large snake, probably a python wrapped around its neck and head.

Richard
Bexley u3a

a lump of circular balls which are see through with black dots in each. this frogspawn sits on a pond with a few green leaves in.

Frog Spawn

Found in my garden pond.

Janet
Radcliffe-on-Trent u3a

a bird in flight out of water. brown and royal green wings look lovely.

Cayuga Duck

Found in Kent. The Cayuga Duck originates from near Lake Cayuga in the Finger Lakes, region of New York.

Sheila
Haverhill u3a

a bird in between two trees.

Wedged Moorhen

Moorhan has found that it can wedge itself in to get to the tasty seeds, at EWT Fingringhoe.

Graham
Leigh Estuary u3a

a brown deer walking on grass with two antlers

Wild Deer

Wollaton Park, with its large lake and deer park, is owned by Nottingham City Council and is free of charge to visit.

Janet
Radcliffe-on-Trent u3a

a birds eye view of a butterfly with its wings openn. Red wings with brown edges and purple/ black spots in each corner of the wings.

Pretty as a Peacock

Church town nature reserve, Saltash. An early butterfly from Cornwall.

Russell

a bird in water. splashing water around it, orange small beak, brown wings.

Egyptian Goose

Wollaton Park, Nottingham. The goose was having a lengthy and very vigorous preening session, creating a lot of splashing.

Ann
Ruddington & District u3a

Swallow Tail Butterfly

Found in Paxos, Greece. Wildlife photography can be so satisfying and relaxing.

Terry
Thorpe Bay u3a

a few birds in a bird bath, in the sunlight, wings flapping and water spraying. looks dramatic!

Territorial Warfare

Seen in front of our house in Ulverston. The blackbird seems to think that it is his birdbath, as he fights any other bird that is in there.

Colin
Furness u3a

a brown/ orange bird sitting on a pile of sticks on green ish water. it has a black plume of feathers coming out of its head

Great Crested Grebe nest

At Brooklands lakes, Dartford, Kent. The nest is so flimsy compared to nearby huge sturdy Coot nests.

Jenny
Abbey Wood u3a

Hovering Kestrel

At RSPB Wallasea Island. Displaying its Old English name 'the wind hover'.

Graham
Leigh Estuary u3a

a small bird with soft feathers, yellow breast and blue/ white head, with blue wings. sitting on a branch.

Love Token

Watergate Bay. Spending a week away with my family, I was ecpecting to be snapping surfing adventures but was delighted to see this Blue Tit in the grounds of our apartment.

Richard
Leigh Estuary u3a

orange stones in front of a huge mountain. blue sky in the sun.

Volcanco Tiede

This was taken on a trip to the volcanic site of Tiede in Tenerife. I liked this particular shot of the volcano as it shows the two stone pillars either side which the geologists believe were originally hundreds of miles under ground and were left intact when the volcano erupted.

Tina
Balsall Common u3a

a brown moth flying with its wings open, orange bits on the bottom of wings

Hummingbird Hawk moth

Prittle Brook Greenway, Leigh-on-Sea. Out with my camera, I was surprised to see this beautiful moth suddenly flutter into view so early in the year. Assume it had over-wintered and was now out either looking for a mate or a place to lay its eggs. Just wish it had actually stopped for a few seconds!

Richard
Leigh Estuary u3a

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