Category: David

Small group of male goosanders on the lake at Wollaton Park, Nottingham. They had been fishing near the shore, but were retreating from the busy footpath.

The same rail featured in yesterday’s post, making a brief visit to the inlet of the Penk at Perton Pool. moving very fast and randomly, hard to keep in frame.

Moss growing on the roadside wall of Compton Hospice, with a miniature forest of sporophytes raised above the level of the leaves to catch the wind for dispersing the spores.

Water rail foraging yesterday, possibly after invertebates, in the channel where the water of the Penk flows into Perton Pool. It spend most of its time feeding in the shelter of the overhanging branches of the bushes surrounding the bank of the pool. When it thought there was no chance of being disturbed it came more clearly into view, allowing me to get off lots of shots.

It carried on probing the water for food. At one point it paused for a quick preen before hunting again. After a couple of minutes it started to stroll back to the shelter of the bushes. Another minute later, and the stream of people passing started again.

Wood blewit mushroom growing tightly packed together yesterday. The lilac coloured ones must have only recently emerged and were only a fraction of an inch tall. The clusters with the wide caps had grown larger. Their colour changed to brawn as they matured, with just a slight tinge of lilac. These had grown under tarpaulin in a garden bed.

Hat tip: Mad

Tow male cormorants sitting by the lake at Wollaton Park, Nottingham, not doing very much other than some perfunctory grooming. Suddenly a heron came wading through the water at the edge of the lake, got out on the bank, and stood there with none of the birds seeming to give any attention to any of the others.