In The Meadows At Lyveden

On Bank Holiday Monday, I went to Lyveden, a National Trust property near Oundle.  As well as the ruined house, the grounds include several hay meadows.  I visited last year toward the end of June, when the meadow flowers had largely gone over.  So this year, I was keen to visit earlier.  I was little too early to catch it at its best, but there was still plenty to occupy my time.

Whilst doing some flower portrait shots, I spotted a spider on an Ox-eye Daisy.  It turned out it was a female and there was a male was trying to mate with her.  I watched as the small male made several  attempts to get close to the bigger female without ending up as lunch.  Eventually he succeeded, before making a hasty exit.  It was fascinating to watch, but tricky to photograph, with the narrow depth of field available.

There was also a Red Kite wheeling above the ruined house.  Apparently one of a local breeding pair.  An increasingly common site in this area.