Plenty of opportunities to connect with nature today – I spent a day out tree climbing inspecting potential features for roosting bats. We didn’t find any bats but a treecreeper nest with three chicks was a real highlight – this was in a cavity behind some lifted bark, almost impossible to spot from the ground. As soon as I found the next, I moved away to another part of the tree and soon the parents were happily foraging around the canopy and continuing to visit the nest so they didn’t seem disturbed.

I called by a Warwickshire Wildlife Site on the way home – this was Shadowbrook Meadows, just near Birmingham Airport.

I only had a little while to wander around but spotted lots of dayflying moths as well as various butterflies including a very fresh looking small tortoiseshell basking.

One of my favourite patches of vegetation was beside a pond – the pink flowers of ragged robin looked exquisite with a background of white flowering bedstraw around the margins.

Common vetch is one of those species which is so easily taken for granted, but these purple flowers are another favourite of mine. As I write this, I’m wondering if I have too many favourites….

Finally, I saw my first flowering meadowsweet of the year – these frothy creamy flowerheads are a mid-summer spectacular of wetter areas and will be in full flower in a week or two’s time!

Once again, the NatureFinder App provides an excellent new place to explore for #30dayswild!