A couple of tawny mining bees were making a start on their burrows at the edge of the riverside path.
By the canal towpath a few common dog-violets are in flower.
And a patch of germander speedwell.
Red deadnettle has been conspicuous for a while and now a patch of white deadnettle is coming into flower. Deadnettle it might be but I managed to rub my hand on a stinging nettle as I took this photograph, then kneel on one too.
We spotted a few alderflies by the canal. The can soon disappear when they land amongst the grasses and dead plant stems but this one settled on my leg, giving me a chance to take a close-up.
There’s been a lot of this small white crucifer sprinkled in drifts alongside the towpath. I haven’t got the leaves showing in this photograph, so I can’t narrow down which species it is: a bitter-cress perhaps?
In a nibbled bramble leaf, a long and winding leaf mine. A scar at the end might indicate where, after pupation, the adult insect emerged. Alternatively it could be where a bird spotted it as a potential prey item.
There are fresh leaves of dog’s mercury in hedge banks and along the woodland edge. These appear to be plants with male flowers: I think those are stamens covered with pollen.
