It is still summer holidays for schools and a short walk round Bushy Ruff this afternoon showed that the "fishing net" industry is still doing well. I wonder how many, if any, Sticklebacks or Minnows found their way into ice-cream tubs (In my day it was a jam jar, but the much safer plastic tub now seems the container of choice).
Not surprisingly with all this activity going on, bird life tended to be distant, or at least a bit wary. This Mallard though, wasn't one bit shy. I mistakenly thought that when the onset of moulting to eclipse came the hormone levels dropped and the drakes were no longer interested in the ducks. Not so with this chap, he spent a considerable amount of time taking a ride on his chosen duck's back before they dashed off in a ritual fly round the lake.
I eventually found a Grey Wagtail, sifting through the weed, on one of the stepped weirs as the water drops down into Russell Gardens. It took little notice of the people around, just moving from one side to other if someone got too close.
I came across this one in the small stream between the two parks. It was very close and at first I thought it would stay there while I photographed it, but it wasn't playing ball and flew up onto the roof of the lodge.
This Badger was a little more cooperative this evening, even allowing two of our grandsons, Sam and Eliot really close views. At first Pam and I thought it was the small female that's been a regular visitor of late, but a closer look showed it to be a different chap. She did come.later after the boys were tucked up in bed.
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