Wildlife from Wolverhampton and nearby
The cormorants which have landed up at West Park seem to be sticking around, at least for some time. There’s at least one pair of adults, with juveniles making up the numbers.
Probably ten birds altogether. It’s hard to be certain. Quite frequently, a bird or two will fly off, or another will fly in. Sometimes they may be staying within the bounds of the park, to prospect for fish in the other arm of the lake. Sometimes they gain height as if they are venturing a little further afield.
One of this year’s cygnets on the lake at West Park, twisting and turning its neck in what looked like impossible contortions as it preened feathers on its back.
The first time we saw this year’s cygnets, when they were still young and downy, there were only two of them. Now, as they’ve grown about as big as their parents, both still appear to be thriving.
More shots of some of the cormorants, currently resident in West Park. Two of the birds, standing on the same branch of a fallen willow as they preen. Meanwhile, a third bird looks on.
Twisting and contorting as it arranges its feathers, one of the cormorants currently resident on the West Park lake, preening. The white feathers on its chest mark it as a young bird.
Fairy inkcaps are tiny mushrooms which appear in tight clusters. They grow on rotting wood, often tree stumps. Colour an vary from brown to grey.
Shaggy inkcaps, freshly emerged (above) and in various stages of deliquescing (below). The caps don’t have gills or pores to release the gills. Instead, they disintegrate into a black mush, starting at the rim and heading inwards.
