Category: David

Heron standing thigh-deep in the canal near Aldersley Junction on a misty morning recently. Every minute or so it pounced, came up with a small fish, and ate it.

Fuchsia flowers, still out with their bright, summery colours. These were on a plant it the garden around Lavington’s Hole, Bridgnorth.

Green and red, evergreen leaves and the bright red of the fleshy aril. This looks like a berry, but actually a fleshy coating to a single seed, a modified cone. The seeds, like most parts of the tree, are poisonous.

This final set of pictures of the young goosander on the Severn at Bridgnorth was taken about an hour and a half later again. The bird was now ashore on the gravel bed at the upstream tip of the Bylet, taking the time to preen thoroughly.

High Rock, Bridgnorth, seen from high on the far bank of the Severn at Castle Walk. A patchwork of colours with the deciduous trees leaves turning yellow or brown, and the conifers still green foliage.

The young goosander, in the Severn by the Bylet at Bridgnorth. After a brief pause on the Bylet to preen, it was now carrying on swimming upstream on the sidestream.

The last three pictures in the set were taken about a quarter of an hour later. The bird was now swimming by the gravel bed at the upstream end of the Bylet, still diving frequently, still not showing signs of catching anything.