Category: David

Shaggy parasols. One of the largest of the local mushrooms, they can grow up to eight inches or so tall. These were coming through the undergrowth in Hawthorn Wood.

For me, green shield bugs have been the insect of the year of the pandemic. Saw the first ones (busy making more green shield bugs) back in march when the first wave was coming to a crescendo. These from tow separate sightings late September.

Two squirrels with acorns. One in Old Nursery Wood, acting like I wanted to grab its nut, and scampering up a tree to keep the acorn safe.

The other, in Bantock Park, eating up its acorn so I couldn’t get my hands on it.

Lone fly agaric mushroom on the edge of the Pitch and Putt at Bantock Park a few days ago. Bright red colour of the cap looking washed out, perhaps by some of the heavy rain we’ve been having.

Fruit on a spindle tree, on the Railway Walk opposite Cupcake Junction, now looking like they are getting very near to ripeness. Wnen they do so, they will split apart to reveal the orange-coloured seeds inside.

Hawker dragonflies are hard to capture in flight. Out of dozens of pictures of one patrolling a short section of canal at Compton, this was the only one clear enough to show an insect rather than a blue blur.