David

Silhouette of the tree line on the far bank of the Avon at Stratford, with its reflection in a full river.

Pied wagtail in Stratford on Avon. A part of the territory where it often searches for insects is the pavement next to the canal basin, a bit close for comfort to the regular streams of tourists walking past.

Butterbur flowering early. In sheltered spots the flowers start to open before the end of December.

Black headed gull with plumage already taking on the black head of the spring breeding plumage when it was pictured on Christmas Eve.

Scarlet elf cups, a fungus with fruiting bodies which appear in late winter, growing on dead wood. Cup-shaped, and normally over a centimeter high and in diameter. These, by the Railway Walk at Newbridge in a spot where they have growin for several years now, were only a couple of millimeters in size. Just visible because of the bright red colour.

Black swan on the Severn at Bridgnorth, preening. is it the same bird which turned up at Shrewsbury earlier in the winter?