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David

Butterfly Farm: Spider eating butterfly

Spider eating butterfly

Stratford on Avon Tropical Butterfly Farm: a (presumably local) spider eating a butterfly caught in its web.

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David

Wagtail at water’s edge

Wagtail at water's edge

White wagtail running along by the edge of the river at Stratford on Avon, catching insects. Then it decided to fly across to the other bank.

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David

Red-berried snowberry

Red-berried snowberry

Red berries on a snowberry: on a few of the berries the reddish colour is patchier, giving way to the more usual white.

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David

Angry birds: swan, Avon

Angry birds: swan, Avon

Swan in full threat posture powering upstream on the Avon at Stratford. It was going so fast that every time it paddled one of its legs, the thrust raised its body out of the water. This one was the hindmost of three birds, strung out in a long line, all swimming in the same way for over a hundred yards. I couldn’t see what, if anything, they were responding to.

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David

Mouldy coal (fungus)

Mouldy coal (fungus)

Black lumps growing from tree trunks, another of the commonly spotted fungi at this time of year. It’s got various names, including coal fungus, cramp balls and King Alfred’s cakes. These were further supporting what looked like a mould on their lower surface.

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David

Artist’s palette fungus, Avon island

Artist's palette fungus, Avon island

Artist’s palette, one of the commoner fungus to be found in the winter months, growing on the trunks of deciduous trees. Theswe were by the River Avon at Stratford, on willows on an island at the town lock.