The stretch of the Staffs and Worcs canal downstream from Compton lock provides winter territories for little grebes every year.
This picture taken September 26th, shortly after the birds returned. The bird had just caught a small fish, shown here still in its bill.
This bracket, possibly the willow bracket, Phellinus igniarius, is now going the same way as the host it finished off. Like the fallen tree to which it is attached, the fungus is now sideways on, with the originally upper surface now on the left.
The tree and its attachments are being left to decay naturally on the pedestrian island on St Andrew’s ringway, right by Chapel Ash roundabout.
The green stains on the fungus and the tree bark is the lichen which is successfully colonising even in this environment.
This is an introduced species which has acclimatised itself in damp places. Often found, as here, beside the Staffs and Worcs canal.
Picture taken 26th September.
Another view of a bee collecting ivy pollen, showing just how much they can cram into their pollen sacs.
Overnight rain drew attention to the complex 3-dimensional structure of this spider’s web.
The woody nightshade berries always stand out against their background. Here the bright sunlight made them even more vivid than usual.
This snail was using the mortar as a trackway as it inched along the top of a low brick garden wall on 10th October.
The amount of pollen in the pollen baskets casts doubt on whether this bee would have been able to carry it all back home, but still she kept gathering more.
Growing almost to eye level in the field behind Compton lock on the Staffs and Worcs canal.
Its watchful position in the middle of a small reed bed gave this heron the confidence to ignore the constant stream of people along the towpath on the opposite bank of the Staffs and Worcs canal.
This mushroom was growing on a pile of wood chips which appeared to have been dumped on a grassy verge.
The view across the lowest pool in Baggeridge Country Park on 12th October.