Mating butterflies, first swifts of spring

De Wilck is a nature reserve in the Netherlands. It is mainly meadows and water.

Today, near the entrance, a common tern and a kestrel flying.

Many black-tailed godwits nesting here, fly around, calling.

So do grey lag geese.

Many cuckoo flowers and rapeseed flowers.

Canada geese. Oystercatchers.

Two green-veined white butterflies, mating on a stinging nettle.

A shoveler duck swimming.

Northern lapwings. Redshanks calling.

Gadwall ducks.

A skylark flying and singing.

A hare running.

About ten swifts are back from Africa. My first ones of this spring.

Three barnacle geese flying.

A female mute swan on a nest along the footpath. Her mate, swimming in the ditch, tries to drive us away.

Ground-ivy flowers.

Panaeolus sphinctrinus mushrooms.

A linnet sitting on a fence.

As we walk back, a shelduck. Edible frog sound.