David

From early January last year, when some of the West Park wagtails were showing themselves while out searching for things to eat.

It’s getting almost time for the first flowers which signal the imminence of spring: snowdrops and crocuses. I’ve not yet been out to see if this year’s are opening yet. These were from Bantock Park in 2016

The New Year period 2020 must have been drier than this one. There was quite a lot of mud exposed at Newbridge where the Smestow Brook was rather low. A wren was taking the opportunity to come down for a drink.

If crowned earth stars (yesterday’s post) are quite rare, their collared earth star cousins are quite common. The ones I notice seem mostly to be growing under hedgerows, like these. But I’ve also spotted them more than once half-hidden under shrubs not far from the city cantre.

Earth stars are a group of fungi with striking fruiting bodies, which often last several weeks once they appear.

Crowned earth stars are one of the rarer species, so it was nice to spot these growing by the canal footpath at Newbridge at the start of January last year. No sign yet of them re-appearing this time round.

A Carolina duck on the river at Shrewsbury, back in 2017. It was in the same area on the Severn – a popular spot for feeding the ducks – for several of my occasional visits to the place. There’s been no sign of it more recently.