I seem to have been ‘trapped’ in the house for most of the past week so just jumped in the car this morning and popped down to the RSPB Lodge reserve for some exercise and a coffee in the airy new cafe. It was very humid and I enjoyed the range of insects on display as well as a lovely encounter with a jay. Depth of field is a challenge with a telephoto lens and the two images below indicate the issue well. There were plenty of gatekeeper butterflies around and even some who posed for me. Thank you little beauty. It is a small white above with an adjacent hoverfly that seems to have union jack wings! I always enjoy seeing ladybirds and there were a few of the 7-spot variety around. The thistles are at their best at the moment too. Nick, the gardener, is setting a real test for my limited horticultural knowledge but the bees don’t care. It’s blue that is enough for them. In the garden there are some water lilies that are close to perfection and the greylag geese are looking all grown up. I’ll finish with my happy encounter with a jay close to the car park.