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.

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.

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…