A Walk In The Woods...
Y esterday I was having a walk in some woods nearby... Tiddesley woods near Pershore, Worcestershire is a large wood owned by Worcestershire Wildlife Trust. It holds fantastic species such as Silver-washed Fritillary, White Admiral, Greater Butterfly orchid and the Noble Chafer beetle. It was a really hot day and once in the wood the canopy of leaves protected me from the sun. There was a small brook with a bridge over it and as I sat looking at a patch of nettles I noticed small puffs of pollen coming from them. I have since found out that mature male nettle flowers, which grow near the top of the plant, have evolved to become wind pollenated. I thought it might make a nice image, so using a fast shutter speed and choosing a dark background making the pollen stand out, I took this image of the stamens flinging pollen into the air. Whilst I was looking at my camera, my friend who I was walking with, spotted a Grass Snake gliding silently a...