David

View from a bridle path across the valley of the river Stour to Kinver church on the first ridge over the village.

The slightest breeze was enough to add an arty blur to this close-up of autumnal leaves.

The Japanese acers which are planted at various spots in West Park have now begun to put on their annual display of autumn colour. What is noticeable is the variation between the displays of the different trees. I don’t know whether this is because they are different species, or that different parts of the park have different micro-climates. These pictures were all taken within a few minutes of one another last week.

These tiny mushrooms were growing on the rotting trunk of a fallen tree, along with an even smaller-leaved liverwort.

The overgound buildings survive the mine’s closure in 1969, but the surroundings are reverting to nature. Most of the former mine area and the spoil heaps are now reused as part of the South Shropshire Country Park, but this is just outside that park’s boundary.

< https://www.flickr.com/photos/davea2007/6175481726 This heron and gull were studiously ignoring each other’s presence – and mine. https://www.flickr.com/photos/davea2007/6175481120