Grand Union Canal.

9th June parked up at Wilstone and walked the farm track/footpath to the Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union Canal first passing an awful case of fly tipping on the farm track. Nearing the canal damselflies started showing including white-legged

 

blue-tailed.
 At the canal turned right and a juvenile grey wagtail was on far bank. Soon passed a family of newly fledged sedge warbles flying back and forth across the water. Adults catching damselflies to feed their young.  Banded demoiselles and emperor dragonflies seen. The canal was quite busy with narrowboats, a young couple I spoke to as they were navigating a lock had come from North Wales and were heading for the East Coast.

Passed a lock keeper's cottage noticed coupled red-eyed damselflies egg laying on floating vegetation and also female emperors egg laying.

Joined the Grand Union and back to the car passing the reservoirs and a paired pair of broad-bodied chasers and shoals of fry at Wilstone. 

13th on a walk from home, an early ringlet butterfly, past an interesting mix of mares with foals.

Stewart.
Images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.