Maghull-Town Green- Aughton- Maghull

Strobilus of the Great Horsetail (Equisetum telmateia telmateia).
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horsetail

Blackish bark and dense, stiff, spiny branches; blossom five creamy-white petals; no leaves yet.

In ditch - south facing - white 'flowers' with six or seven petal-like segments.

Bright yellow head, yellow underparts, and a heavily streaked brown back.

Flower - violet-purple, 3-5 cm diameter, with a five-lobed corolla.

Next to Maghull to Ormskirk Railway Line.

Black head and neck, prominent white cheeks, olive upperparts and yellow underparts

Blue crown and dark blue line passing through the eye, and encircling the white cheeks to the chin. White forehead. Wings and tail are blue. Underparts yellow.

Rusty red wings with, at each wingtip, distinctive, black, blue and yellow eye-spots.

Pair on Fencing - Black head and neck, prominent white cheeks, olive upperparts and yellow underparts

Two: landing on grass and crawling into undergrowth; reappearing and repeating process. I assume they are looking for new nesting holes.
Possible queens as very large.