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David

Red for warning: yew “berry”

Red for warning: yew "berry"

Red which should be for warning on this yew “berry” – a fleshy aril surrounding the seed. The bright colour is there to tempt some bird or animal to eat it, dispersing the seed via its digestive tract. Can be contrary to the health or even the life of whatever, though some birds, such as thrushes or waxwings, are able to digest the arils and pass out the toxic seeds undigested.

Red for warning: yew "berry"

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David

Buddleia flowers with acrobatic bumble bee

Buddleia flowers with acrobatic bumble bee

Bumble bee performing acrobatic manoeuvers as it collects pollen from the flowes of a buddleia.

Buddleia flowers with acrobatic bumble bee

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David

Giant funnel caps, part eaten

Giant funnel cap, part eaten

Giant funnel cap mushrooms by the edge of the Railway Walk as it passed through a deep cutting in Wombourne. All the fruiting bodies were part eaten.

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David

Swan family by River Sow, Doxey

Swan family by River Sow, Doxey

Swan family of two adults and two well-grown cygnets not doing very much by the River Sow on the Doxey Marshes Nature Reserve. They were only a couple of yards from the path, but stayed set in place despite a steady stream of dogwalkers passing.

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David

Common darters mating, Compton Park pool

Common darters mating

Pair of common darter dragonflies mating while standing on the decking of the footbridge over the Compton Park pool. If disturbed, they would fly off to a safer position, still conjoined.

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David

Kestrel hunting in cloudy sky

Kestrel hunting in cloudy sky

Kestrel in a cloudy sky, in a favoured hunting spot above the saddle between Worcestershire Beacon and Sugar Loaf Hill in the Malverns.