Category: David

A small wood in the grounds of the former (plant) nursery by the Railway Walk at Finchfield has recently been opened up with footpaths. Here the stump of a tree covered in glistening inkcap mushrooms.

Water mint on the pond at Wightwick Manor, the flowers attracting a visiting bee.

Three herons on the West Park boating lake island, standing carefully so each of the other two is out of the every one’s direction of sight even though all were in a line. Two actually on opposite ends of the same fallen tree, the third harder to spot from the shore, deep in shadow under the trees.

Ear fungus on a tree by the Railway Walk. Half in bright sunlight, making it look just a little like translucent amber; half in deep shadow.

Fox, possibly a young male, in the otherwise deserted playing fields of Smestow School. The fox had seen me, coming along the towpath on the far side of the canal, before I spotted it. As I took the pictures it ambled off, glancing at me, disappearing into Peasley Wood.

Russulas are a group of mushrooms sometimes called brittlegills. Many species in this grouping have strongly and distinctively coloured caps, making them easy to identify. The common yellow russula is the most common species in Britain. Prized by some wild food enthusiasts, though probably not specimens like this one growing by a path in Himley Plantation, already well chewed by denizens of the wood.