The two acers nearest to the Tea Rooms chalet seem to keep their display when all the others around the park are already losing their leaves.
Since these pictures were taken, even these last two trees are starting to go bald for the winter.
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).
This picture was taken way back in July, when it was possible to sit out on one of the terraces of the Charlton Arms in Ludford after sunset, sipping one of the pub’s excellent pints to the background of the soothing sounds of the river Teme.
This was the only bee I spotted among many various insects feeding on ivy flowers recently.
These flag iris seeds were by the pond on Northycote Farm recently.
Despite being spotted on an ivy leaf, this may be a hawthorn shield bug.
One of the last plants of the year to flower, and a magnet for insects on warm autumn days: an ivy beginning to flower (above) and just about to do so (below).
