A Lovely Sunny Morning

The early part of today was pleasantly warm and sunny on the reserve with no cloud or wind, lovely jubbly as the man said. I'll continue with another selection of odds and sods as I walked round.
Looking across the grazing marsh from the Tower Hide, I watched this Thames sailing barge making it's way down The Swale and out to sea.

This Mute Swan family have done well to survive with five cygnets.

Bristly Ox-tongue

This flower, Gipsywort, grows to around two feet in thick clumps along the reserve ditches and yet it has tiny little white flowers.

White Clover covers much of the grazing marsh and yet most days we don't give it a second glance, but just look at the lovely formation of the flower if we get up close.

and here, is the post-flower fruit pod of the Strawberry Clover.

This one's easy, it's Teasel.

This year, butterflies are about in much smaller numbers, this is a Small Skipper.

The cattle decided to follow me back to the car but there was agate

With the walk over Midge and Ellie waited in the car for me to stop taking photos.