Category: David

Mulberries darkening as they ripen overhead.

Still a long way off ripening, but the leaves and the seed and wing structures of this Japanese acer in the shadow of Bantock House were already bright shades of reds and yellows early in August.

Remains of a small skull which was lying among the leaf litter under a roadside hedge. It was too far away to try to get it closer for a more detailed look.

Ripening berries on a laurel bush facing Bantock House.

Sandy stiltballs are fungi rarely found in Britain, known only in two locations on sandy soil in south Shropshire.

They look at first sight similar to a standard mushroom/toadstool. But at the top of the stem there is a spore sac rather than a cap with gills or pores: they are more like a puffball on a stem.

On a recent visit to the sandy bank which is one of the Shropshire sites, I could only spot a lone active fruiting body alongside the relics of a taller old one. Perhaps this summer’s weather conditions have discouraged growth. Or maybe they were harder to spot among the denser than normal mass of grass and nettles on the bank.

Small slug crawling over golden rod flowers early one morning. Lots of slugs and snails had been brought out by overnight rain.