David

There were several of these larger dragonflies, possibly migrant hawkers, at both the Smestow Valley ponds. But they were moving too randomly and too fast for me to grab a picture. This one was on the far side of the canal at Compton.

Dragonflies out in force in the Smestow Valley yesterday. These male common darters were resting on vegetation by both the two ponds and by the canal near Compton.

This year’s autumn fungi flush is now well under way. Here a sample of the species I noticed on a fairly quick visit to the Woodland Trust property at Himley Plantation.

There were probably hundreds of charcoal burners standing, despite someone trying to stomp as many as possible. The other species were all in smaller numbers.

Orchard webweaver spider (Leucauge venusta) near the centre of its near-horizontal web.

Green shield bugs are the commonest of the shield bugs. Perhaps it’s the different routines of life in a pandemic, but I’ve seen many more than usual this year.

Summer’s just beginning to give way to autumn, but already the first growth of next year’s catkins are begining to grow on some hazel bushes. These will be pumping out their pollen come January.