Stover Country Park - Emerald Damselflies

At Stover Country Park there were lots of Emerald Damselflies on the wing.

Stover Country Park - the aerial walkway

Last year's visit to Stover Country Park also included photos of the aerial walkway, definitely one of the key attractions at the park.   Gazing downamongst the tree canopy is very ineteresting.

Unfortunately my bird photos were hazey - which was a shame because they inckluded a Willow Tit, a species I haven't photographed before.  An excuse for another visit next year...

There were also Great Tits, Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Greenfinches and Nutchatches on the aerial feeders.

Stover Country Park - bird hide

Last year I blogged about visit to Stover Country Park. This year's visit was equally enjoyable and interesting, beginning at the bird hide which overlooks the lake.

Echinacea

B & Q in Exeter had some lovely Echinacea on sale yesterday.

Woodbury Common

 
On Saturday Helen and I had walk on Woodbury Common, part of the Pebbledbed Heaths (owned by the East Devon Pebblebed Heaths Conservation Trust), some eight miles southeast of the city of Exeter. The view from the heath over to the sea is wonderful.

The highest point is Woodbury Castle, an Iron Age hill fort at approximately 185 metres (607 ft) above sea level, in a commanding position with views up and down the Exe Estuary and across Lyme Bay in both directions. The structure is a prehistoric military type of earthwork.

Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum)

Young Acorns on Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur )

Knopper Gall, caused by the gall wasp  Andricus quercuscalicis, on Oak.

Heather (Calluna vulgaris)

Heather (Erica vagans)

Blackberries (Rubus fruiticosus)

Gorse (Ulex europaeus)

Small Heath butterfly (Coenonympha pamphilus)

Fox Moth caterpillar (Macrothylacia rubi )

Greater Knapweed (Centaurea scabiosa)

 Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)

 Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)

Venn Ottery Devon Wildlife Trust Reserve

 Next door to the RSPB Reserve (separated by a field which I have counted in this posting) is a Devon Wildlife Trust reserve.

Male Common Blue on Bird's-foot Trefoil.

Eyebright.

Keeled Skimmers - in the field that separates the two reserves.

Venn Ottery RSPB Reserve

On Friday we had a walk in the sunhine on Venn Ottery Common RSPB reserve and then into the Devon Wildlife Trust's Venn Ottery reserve (about which more later).

Looking toward Tipton St John.

A Common Darter.

Rowan, also known as Mountain Ash.

A Fox Moth caterpillar.

Bracken.

Oak.