Natural History

Sumer is icumen in … Cuckoo, Swifts, Butterflies at wraysbury lakes

Male Orange Tip butterfly, a herald of summer
Cuckoo Flower, and yes, it’s so named because it comes out when the Cuckoo arrives

Cuckoo Flowers … and a singing Cuckoo! A real pleasure after months of lockdown. And a flight of 3 Swifts over the lake:

“Sumer is Icumen In,
Lhude sing Cuccu!”

sang the Middle English poet, centuries ago.

A Green-Veined White butterfly taking nectar in the brilliant sunshine
A Buzzard with prey, eyeing the camera beadily from a tall tree
A beautifully-framed lawn of Daisies among the Willows and Poplars

Not pictured are the many Warblers that were singing today – Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Garden Warblers, Cetti’s Warblers, and Whitethroats. There weren’t any Sedge Warblers, though, something there always used to be here.

Apart from the attractive butterflies, there were the year’s first Banded Demoiselles, the males with their long transparent wings marked with a large dark blue patch; and near the water, Alder flies with their clear wings with dark veins.

Ewes and lambs grazing the banks of the reservoir

Isn’t that a fine sight for London? Sheep peacefully grazing the steep grassy banks of the reservoir. The water company saves a lot of trouble, noise, fuel, money, and frankly danger trying to mow the slopes: the sheep do the job better. Now if only everything was so well thought out…