David

A large bank of wood anemones were growing in a wood by the bank of the River Severn, near to the Highley station of the Severn Valley Railway.

Scarlet is not really an accurate description of the shade of red of this woodland fungus. But the colour is so vivid that I thought it was a discarded chocolate bar wrapper until I looked at it more carefully.

Commonly known as the cuckoo pint, Lords and Ladies, and several other names, the wild arum will later produce what is arguably our weirdest looking native flower.

This fox cub is one of the litter which are being raised in the den which I think is a former badger set, featured here.

The cub currently has blue eyes. The fur is predominantly grey, but already shows signs of beginning to turn reddish. The eyes will also soon turn to amber.

The rear view of the same cub (below) shows the darker fur on the ears, and the currently stumpy tail.

This is the largest and boldest of the cubs in the litter, which might have up to seven in total.

The buds of this hawthorn bush were just about to burst when this picture was taken. There are two different types of lichen (yellowish and greenish-grey) growing on the twig.

The bluebells have been much delayed this year because of the bad winter.

This is the first one I’ve seen in flower, yesterday.

Just a single plant so far, though the signs are that there are going to be lots soon.

These marsh marigolds were very early, possibly because they were cultivated. They were growing by the pool at Bantock Park.

On warm days this plant attracts crowds of insects, which were conspicuously absent when this picture was taken.

The first mushroom I’ve spotted so far this spring is this clump of glistening inkcaps.

The red of the ladybird shows vividly against the green of the leaves.

The one below is on a nettle leaf – the stings can be seen as what look like short fine hairs fringing the leaf.