Wolves Wild

A gathering of snails clinging together to a fence post by one of the stiles giving access to the Smestow Valley LNR’s Railway Walk.

The petals had now fallen from the first flower on this garden poppy. The developing seed head can be seen rising above this second flower in one of the pictures.

This year’s dry spring has meant there have been very few mushrooms so far.  From way back in 2010. here are some hare’s foot inkcaps. The only times I’ve ever seen them in the west midlands, they have been growing on wood chip mulch.

A garden poppy, which has self-seeded itself in what is technically inside, forcing its way up through a gap between two flagstones. This was its first flower of the year.

No problem spotting this orange tip butterfly picture in these close-up pictures. When I looked at the actual Jack by the hedge plant, the caterpillar was a lot harder to spot. Does its camouflage have the same effect on insectivorous birds with hungry nestlings?

Coots mostly have aquatic feeding habits. As they swim, they dive for vegetation which they then eat as they resurface. This well-grown coot chick in West Park varied the habit. It’s standing in what is probably the most popular spot where people come to feed the ducks and geese. In a quiet period when the crowds have gone, it searches the crevices for crumbs the bigger birds have missed.