Author: David

Not as showy as some of the other nightshades – the fruit tends to blend in to the background even as it ripens to black.

These particular berries were on one of the fine yews in West Park.

These mushrooms were growing near Southgate.  This mushroom is normally predominantly white, as indeed they were here a few weeks ago.

This tiny spider was rushing round on the ends of the floaters of the dandelion seeds without seeming to make any impression on them.

An ear fungus growing on its preferred host, an elder tree. This one appears every year in Hawthorn Wood, in the Smestow Valley LNR off Horden Road.

Ten pictures of hoverflies feeding on ivy flowers today.

For some reason, I have less inhibitions about getting up close to them than I do when trying to photograph bees or wasps.

See the contrast between different parts of their bodies, parts looking shiny-smooth, and others hairy (complete with trapped grains of pollen).