Magpie inkcap mushroom emerging in Castle Grounds, Bridgnorth, where they regularly grow one one section of wood mulch. The black and white colour of the caps is distinctive.
French cat: Papal Palace, Avignon
Cat spotted at the Papal Palace, Avignon. It sauntered up to the Palace just as the doors were opened for paying visitors in the morning, jumped up onto the cash desk to allow itself to be stroked briefly, then headed on inside. Every so often as we came to a fresh courtyard or open space in the building, we could spot it stalking invisible prey.
French cat: Cassis
French, or perhaps all Mediterranean, cats seem to behave even more like they own their surroundings. This one was investigating a flower pot in a back street in Cassis early one morning.
Autumn fungi: fly agarics, recently emerged
Fly agaric mushrooms, only recently emerged. Distinctive fungi which grow in association with trees, almost invariably birches. These were growing earlier this month in Bantock Park and Compton Rough.
Something fishy – Cassis harbour
Some fish swimming in the surprisingly clear Mediterranean water of Cassis harbour
Autumn fungi: rollrim species, Himley Plantation
Toadstools from one of the rollrim (Paxillus) species spotted recently in Himley Plantation. Member of this genus look innocuous with their subdued colouring, but are poisonous or inedible.
Century plant, seeding, Cassis
Century plant growing by the Mediterranean, seeds ritening at the top of its oh so tall stem.
Cormorants resting, Cassis
Trio of cormorants resting and preening on an offshore rock below a cliff face at Cassis. The guano cover to te rock indicates the spot is a regular hangout.
Autumn fungi: dead man’s fingers, Himley Plantation
Autumn fungi to look out for, one appropriate for Halloween at the end of the month. Dead man’s fingers, black and growing out of fallen trees in shady woodland, do indeed look spooky. These were in Himley Plantation at the start of the month.
Another dragonfly, Cassis
Another dragonfly, or possibly two in the same vicinity, flying over the rocky ground overlooking one of the calanques at Cassis. A lot more wary of being watched than the ones in the centre of town.
Autumn fungi: bracket from below, Himley Plantation
Bracket fungus growing from a mossy fallen tree trunk in Himley Plantation, seen for once from below.
Clouded yellow butterfly, Cassis
Clouded yellow butterfly, a European butterfly. Every year some migrate to Britain, though I’ve never seen them this side of the Channel. This one was exploring the bushes by the car park of a Cassis beach.