Seeing the Changes 46

Seems to be shaping up for an 'Indian Summer', with strange mixtures of flowers and fruits around Loughor. Pedunculate oak (Querus robur) has acorns, the Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) 'conkers', Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) little plum-like fruit, the Alder (Alnus glutinosa) rounded female cones and the Scorpion senna (Coronilla ermerus) sports its strange pods. Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), Rosebay willowherb (Epilobium angustifolium) and Creeping thistle (Cirsium arvensis) all have their parachute seeds ready to go. The Japanese knotweed (Reynoustria japonica) is in flower like a snow storm and its fellow alien Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) simltaneously has pink flowers and lots of large white berries. Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymemum) also has both flowers and fruit. Gorse (Ulex europaeus) is coming into flower again and the vegetation is full of Garden spiders (Araneus diadematus) busily 'fishing' for flies including hoverflies such as Eristalis arbustorum. The bushes are bright with Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus) berries.