There’s been very little in the way of fungi around this autumn, in what is normally the peak period for them. Most of what has been visible has been bracket fungi, often already fairly mature.
This specimen was growing on the sawn-off trunk of a willow. It may have been another chicken of the woods, but I couldn’t get near enough for a close look.
Close-up of part of an umbellifer seed-head, showing the papery surrounding of the actual seeds. This picture was taken only a few steps from the one in the previous post: the umbellifer was growing in the rough vegetation fringing the quarry.
One of the faces of the former sandstone quarry at the back of Wightwick Mill lock. Across the middle of the picture a band of the lichen which is growing on the rock seems to prefer one particular layer.
A few weeks ago, various pundits were claiming that this year’s weather would lead to spectacular autumn colours. I’ve not seen many signs of that yet, but I did like the delicate shades of these leaves.
One of the West Park squirrels burying part of its winter hoard right up by the brick and stonework forming the edge of the lake.
Something else I tried out for the first time: the high speed movie mode on my camera. This is of a wasp eating on an ivy flower.
Hopefully the picture quality will improve with practice. But even on a first try I was stunned watching the segments of the insect’s abdomen moving in relation to one another, and the way the antennae waved around.