Taking a meandering walk home from work, I passed by the allotments where something in the hedgerow caught my eye, initially I was slightly confused.
But then it shook and righted itself, I think its a male Great Tit, but I'd welcome a second opinion. My guess is that its just taken a bath and is preening and drying out in the sunshine. It's sat on our allotment perimeter fence, a stream runs directly behind this spot. Earlier in the year the stream was cleared and relevelled to maintain a more constant water level. A couple of years earlier hawthorns and roses were planted along the fence to create a barrier and provide shelter and food for wildlife. Great to see the local Kirkstall creatures are making use of the facilities.
Also on the hedgerow I noticed a familiar 7 Spot Ladybird on a Hawthorn leaf, the blossom held in tight bundles ready to burst any day.
Less familiar, could anybody help identify these two, would I be correct in thinking they're both Harlequin Ladybirds? UK Ladybird Survey has lots of information about Ladybirds species.
As some of the earlier flowering trees in the area lose their blossom, others come into bloom, this one in a hedgerow behind Queenswood Social Club car park.
