Babbs Mill Nature Reserve, Solihull.

Mute Swan (Cygnus Olor) and Cygnets.

Black Headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus).

Cinnabar Moth Caterpillar (Tyria jacobaeae) on Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris).

Sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus).

Early morning trip to Babbs Mill Nature Reserve in Solihull where it started off cool but went hot and humid around 10:00 a.m. 

On my last visit there were two pairs of nesting Mute Swan, unfortunately none of the one pairs hatched and the other pair have only had two, I say only two, that's better than none at all but it certainly wasn't a vintage year for Mute Swan breeding at this location. There was also at least five Common Tern on the lake constantly dive bombing the water for fish. There was also a great flock of c.50 Long Tailed Tit which held many juveniles, possibly up to thirty. 

Birds seen were Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Chiffchaff, House Sparrow, Wren, Robin, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Collared Dove, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Swift, Common Tern, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Moorhen, Coot, Mallard, Domestic Goose, Canada Goose, Black Headed Gull, Herring Gull as well as the following juveniles, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Woodpigeon, Cygnet (2) and numerous Coot and Duckling.

I also had the pleasure of seeing a Fox cub who stared at me inquisitively for about twenty seconds before disappearing into the nearby long grass.