Last of this year's brood

With the warm weather due to end as the tail end of what is left of hurricane Erin due to arrive overnight, the weather outlook looks decidedly more unsettled and wet in the week ahead.  We could really do with the rain, so I have my fingers crossed that it does actually turn up.  On so many occasions this summer the forecasters have threatened us with rain that just didn't materialise.

Still, with that impending change this might be one of the last of this year's crop of common darters coming out of the pond.   I spotted it just before breakfast this morning and thought it would make a good blip.  Note the exuvial case to the right of the insect.  Unfortunately it was just a little too far into the pond and really difficult to get a shot of - the camera was held at arm's length which makes keeping it still enough and at the right angle tricky - I was trying to make sure that I didn't overbalance and end up in the pond complete with camera.

After lunch I got the bike out for a 50 mile or so jaunt over the Mendips.  It being a Bank Holiday the roads were busier than one would like, but I did manage to find some entertaining quiet stretches.  As long as I kept moving the conditions were actually pretty pleasant although I was very aware of some hot engine elements close to my calves :-)