David

More spring fungi are now starting to appear. Glistening inkcaps grow in tight clusters, often right at the base of tree stumps.

Plants of the woodland floor are getting their main growth in before leaves appear on the trees above, monopolising the sunlight. These wood anemones were flowering by the Railway Walk near Finchfield.

Robin carefully checking that everything is safe, then taking a quick sip of water from a bird bath.

The bank by the side of Mop’s Farm bridge (over the canal, heading out into the countryside beyond Castlecroft) used to be covered in violets and lesser celandines growing wild in spring. Then the bank started to get heavy foot traffic being used as an unofficial link between the canal towpath and the bridleway across the bridge. For several years, celandine numbers plummeted, and the violets disappeared completely. Now, they’re back.

Right at the top of a tree, a pair of wood pigeons.

A series of blushing bracket fungi growing on a half-fallen tree trunk by the Railway Walk near Newbridge. The upper surface is initially off-white, later developing the red-brown “blush”.