End of season tales

Today I found this speckled wood butterfly lurking in the nature reserve.   It seemed late for it to be around so unsurprisingly it was looking rather tatty and old, poor thing.  However, unlike a lot of you who will have been having a battering from Storm Helene, we have just had sun, clouds and rather a lot of wind (no jokes, please). 

While I was in the reserve I also stopped for a gossip and info exchange with one of the wardens.  She told me there is a cormorant's nest a little higher up river, and also confirmed where the foxes' earth is (just where I guessed!)  Plus otters are occasionally seen - by her, among others - in the pond, and that I didn't know.  And then she told me a lovely story which she had been told about a local man who feeds the eels by the Willow Tree pub.  He has been seen with eight boxes of Waitrose prawns lined up, dropping individual prawns into the water one by one, creating a feeding frenzy below.  Really, you have to smile don't you.

Thank you for your very kind reaction to yesterday's shot of HBC.  The stars hearts and comments were a wonderful bonus on what was anyway a good day.  You are all so kind.

Enjoy your evening, or whatever part of the day you've got to  xx