David

Redlead roundhead mushrooms, already slightly nibbled even though only recently emerged, growing on wood chip mulch. Originally an Australian species, now quite common in the west midlands. Often found growing on wood chip or sawdust. It’s thought they were accidentally imported on timber products.

At the shallow edge of the sidestream in the Severn at the Bylet in Bridgnorth, a carrion crow, stepped into the water. I noticed what was probably the same the bird walking into the water in the same spot during an earlier visit to the town. That time, it looked like it was after a drink of the water.

This time, its walking was more purposeful. Then it stopped, looked around very carefully, and starte4d turning the pebbles at the bottom of the stream with its beak. Each time it raised its head, it was eating whatever it was that it had caught, still keeping a beady eye on its surroundings.

A lone verdigris mushroom growing in the middle of a front lawn, back before the first of this winter’s frosts. It must have emerged the previous night – the cap had not yet flattened out. because it was so fresh, the colour had not yet had a chance to fade or be washed away.

More Castle Grounds, Bridgnorth, birdlife. many, many blackbirds, far more than four and twenty.

Honey fungus on the remaining stump of a tree. Infestation by the fungus was probably the reason the tree needed to be felled.

Another Castle Grounds bird getting the benefits of the seeds and nuts put out in the feeders. Robins are attracted not so much to the feeders themselves as to the ground below, to gather what has fallen and scattered from above.