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David

Autumn fungi: plums and custard

Autumn fungi: plums and custard

Growing on the stump of a conifer, possibly a leylandii, in a front garden, plums and custard mushrooms. They’re named for their colour, not their culinary qualities. I couldn’t bend down far enough to get the gills on the underside of the caps into view, but they are bright yellow.

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David

Autumn fungi: yellow stainers

Autumn fungi: yellow stainers

With the arrival of autumn and plenty of autumn rain, the season for fungi shows at least some signs of getting going.

It’s possible that some people could confuse these with ordinary field mushrooms (ordinary supermarket mushrooms). They aren’t. More likely they’re yellow stainers, which cause gastric upsets if eaten. Always avoid eating any mushroom with flesh which turns yellow when recently exposed.

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David

Tiny snail nibbling leaf

Tiny snail nibbling leaf

This tiny and distinctive-looking snail was nibbling busily at the edge of a leaf, giving me time to add a close-up filter when I noticed it.

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David

Heading south for winter: Basque coast

Heading south for winter: Basque coast

Twilight on a September evening in the French Basque country. A little way out over the sea, skeins of geese passed heading south.

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David

Backlit pampas grass. Basque coast

Backlit pampas grass. Basque coast

On rough ground overlooking the sea in the French Basque country, pampas grass was growing wild. Pictured here with the mid-morning sun directly behind.

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David

Little ringed plover, Basque coast

Little ringed plover, Basque coast

Another bird heading south on autumn migration, pausing for a little rest and refreshment on the French Basque coast. This one’s a little ringed plover.

Little ringed plover, Basque coast