David

Shaggy scalycap fungus growing at the base of an ash and a lime on Tettenhall Upper Green trees. Some fungi are associated with trees or shrubs and have a mutually beneficial relationship. Not these, which are parasitic.

Back in November 2010, a heron standing on a snowy canal bank at Compton.

A reminder that not all fungi fruiting bodies are mushrooms. These are yellow club fungi, which possibly pop up among moss and long grass in the same spot every autumn, but I only managed to find some twice in the past decade.

Coprinus species fungi like these shaggy inkcaps shed their spores by deliquescing: the caps turn to a gooey black mess from the rim inwards. In the specimens pictured the process has gone to the end. The caps are almost gone. Traces of remains of the goo can be seen shadowing the stems.

Autumn leaves, bright colours: yellows and reds from one of the Japanese acers growing in West Park.

Shield bug which had retreated inside a lean-to, and was resting on one of the windows.