Croxall Lakes

Observant blippers may well recognise the golden-tipped memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire. It's featured quite regularly on Blip - and there is always some of the Remembrance Sunday service relayed on UK television too.

This is the back view, an unusual view, taken from the nature reserve which is on the other side of the River Tame. It's actually far better in the larger version, where you can see the heron clearly.
Croxall Lakes
It's also run by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and I decided yesterday, when I went to their headquarters at The Wolseley Centre, that I would go along and explore this one. Weather forecasters are hailing this as the last day of summer, so I thought I would make the most of it.

I had a wonderful walk, with lots to attempt to blip.
Herons
(and you can see one of them in the bottom right hand corner of my Blip)
Small egrets
and dragonflies (huge and impossible to capture)

Butterflies? I thought they were in short supply apart from the whites, but I spotted an elusive small tortoiseshell and then some blues.

There are two bird hides on this reserve, ideally placed. But I went in one of them, closed the door behind me (total darkness) and I was convinced there was someone outside. Haunted ? Probably not. I'm just a wimp.

We're so lucky in Staffordshire. And this reserve that is where the Rivers Trent, Tame and Mease meet is another wonderful, quiet place to check out.