Category: David

Small mushrooms growing in short grass. Some had been kicked over. With their reddish-brown caps and scaly stems, they may have been earthy powdercaps.

Robin on low vegetation right by the footpath across Compton Rough, looking round and watching me,constantly alert.

Fungus growing on a short piece of fallen branch by Compton Lock.

A little grebe on the lower pool at Perton.

It seemed to be hanging out with one of the the groups of mallards. When I first saw it, I actually thought it might be an untimely duckling.

It was also fishing in an unusual way. Instead of diving, submerging completely, it was just dipping its head under the water. It was coming up with something and eating it, but I was too far away to see what the prey was.

One of the bulrushes in the wetland area of Compton Park.

Goosanders on the upper (larger) pool at Perton a few days before Christmas. A flock of 25 – 30 were present, but headed from near the shore towards the island when they saw me coming.

The birds were engaging in courtship behaviour. Some pictures managed to catch males stretching themselves as high as possible out of the water; there were also females stretching themselves prone along the surface.