A quick visit to the river Deele.
Added identifications to the Sawfly larvae from 3rd September and 13th July.
Rain all day.
Guelder-rose - Viburnum opulus - is a new species for the site. I hadn't seen it before, so I was caught out by those red berries. I squashed a couple to see if they smelled like currants. They don't.
The birds obviously don't find the berries attractive, either: They're still there. What is the point of looking attractive, but then smelling (and presumably tasting) vile? I can only assume that red is a cheap and easy colour for plants to produce. Or maybe there is some family history of attractive berries which has been incompletely retained. Then again, it might be only a newish development and the fragrance has yet to appear in this species. I'll need to check berries from related plants e.g. Honeysuckle.