David

I first took a few pictures of this small cluster of lurid boletes about four weeks earlier than this set. At that time, the mushrooms must have only recently emerged. Passing them again, their surfaces were more or less completely covered with a mould, or perhaps a fungus, living on them. Do the changes of colour perhaps show that there is more than one species of parasite present.

Judas tree seed pods turning delicate colours as they begin to ripen. These were on the tree next to the West Park Conservatory.

Red squirrels have been edged out of most of Britain, displaced by greys originally from north America. They are still in Scotland, on Brownsea Island in Portland bay, on the Isle of Wight and the Isles of Scilly. And, of course, on mainland Europe.

That’s where we saw this one, in the gardens of the Alhambra Palace in Granada (a long time ago). It was yet another squirrel which was used to being fed, and came closer rather than fleeing when people were around.

Berries, dangling down in bunches at different stages of ripening. These were on the lowest branches of whitebeams.

I was taking a few pictures of white bindweed flowers to contrast with those of the pink-flowered variety (see yesterday’s post). Then I noticed a very big bee, deep in one of the flowers.

It’s getting towards that time of year when spiders become more visible, indoors as well as out. I’ve noticed some impressive webs. But not, so far, their occupants. These are older pictures from this time of year, which I never got round to putting online till now.

They’re all common garden spiders, sometimes called cross spiders from markings on the backs of their abdomens. And they’re all female. Like many other spider species, the females are much bigger than the males.

Bindweed flowers, coloured a delicate shade of pink. Spreading along the wall of the former lock-keeper’s cottage by Wightwick lock.

Another find from peeping over the front walls of gardens. These lurid boletes were a recent growth, but had already proved popular with some of the local wildlife – probably slugs or snails.

This year, the yews seem to have lost almost all their seeds very early, with lots brought down by winds and birds earing up what remained. I did manage to find one tree with a few still on.

They look like berries, but the seeds are actually on tiny cones. The squishy red jackets are arils: tasty to some birds, poisonous for people.

A spider’s web, visible as it caught the sunlight. I couldn’t see the spider itself, but is will have been lurking somewhere nearby, waiting for the web to catch something more substantial.