Brankley pastures in the rain

Today we decided to visit Brankley Pastures a Staffordshire Wildlife Trust reserve to take a look at the new wild flower meadow, it was spectacular even in the rain.

common blue damselfly

My first for this year and another indication of summer approaching - the lane today had several dancing common blue damselflies along the cow parsley laden verges.

and another sign of summer - the foxgloves are flowering too

Cowslips at Brown End Quarry

Cowslips are one of my favourite spring flowers from my childhood.

I was delighted to see so many at  Staffordshire Wildlife Trust's Brown End Quarry today - just a shame there wasn't much sunshine!

Peacock butterfly eggs

Today I photographed these peacock butterfly eggs!

 - a good spot you might think as they were on the underside of a stinging nettle or common nettle leaf, and you would have been right in thinking so if it hadn't been for the fact that yesterday I watched the peacock butterfly as she was in the process of laying them - So I knew exactly where to look for them today!

I didn't watch her for long and hopefully kept a respectful distance, at least 6 feet away, even when photographing her,  as some moments deserve to remain private, I would hate to be going about my daily routines with a monster poking a great big camera lens in my face all the time!!!