April 28th Mousehold Heath and Norwich

Green Tiger Beetle

This morning, I went to Mousehold Heath for a walk. I also had unfinished business with a certain beetle. I still wanted a few decent shots of green tiger beetles now that I have some time and patience to spare and without a group of people to catch up with. Once I had my eye in, finding them was easy and I soon had a few pictures of these tiny jeweled terrors that I was happy with. They also conveniently posed next to their nesting holes, which was nice of them.

Beetle and nesting hole where it lays it's eggs

Sycamore leaves

Leaves of oak, silver birch, beech and sycamores are beginning to block the canopy of light. A jay forages through the bark of tree branches for food. It's blue wing feathers sparkle in what light that passes through the new barrier of leaves. I also spot holly blue and large white butterflies, a goldcrest and a pair of mistle thrushes. Away from the trees, gorse and broom are covering the heathland areas in bright yellow with the scent of coconut attracting bees and other insects.

Jay

Large White Butterfly

Gorse

Bumblebee

Oak leaves almost ready to develop

Cherry Trees down the street

I returned home for lunch and after that, I went down the street to admire the row of pink blossomed cherry trees. These cherry trees have bloomed later than the ones I saw at Waterloo Park last month. The colours are bright and cheerful like large clouds of candy floss attached to big wooden sticks. This sight will soon be short lived in the next week or so, as the blossom will fall and carpet the ground below like pink snow. Elsewhere in my neighbourhood, I notice the lime, London plane and beech trees have started to develop leaves. The chestnut trees are now complete with many candles of flowers poking out of the bright green leaves.

A row of pink!

Chestnut Tree

Waterloo Park and the Cherry Tree Avenue

The cherry trees that didn't flower on my last visit to Waterloo Park has also bloomed recently. The only thing is, I think I have misjudged my timing as the petals have already begun to fall to the ground and being replaced by leaves. I was certain that these trees were pink in past years, as I was surprised when the blossom of this avenue of cherry trees were actually white. I must have forgotten that since last year.

Mistle Thrush

Norwich Cathedral

Don't know what it is, but looks pretty

Blackbird