Category: David

Yet one more fungus from the highly productive small area under a pair of beech trees. This netted crust was growing on a fallen branch, presumably from one of the beeches.

Rat searching short, damp grass in West Park for something to eat, finding quite a bit. It was in the most popular area where people put down peanuts for squirrels, likely getting lots of leavings.  There was no sign it was disturbed by my presence.

It’s the twelfth day of Christmas, or twelfth night, or Epiphany (for those churches which use the Gregorian calendar). Traditionally, the day the three wise men reached Bethlehem.

The camel was outside a shop in Oberammergau. The elaborate gold chest is behind the high altar of Cologne cathedral, holding the supposed remains of the three wise men. It looks like there was a lot more gold used in its construction that in the original gift.

The small patch of grass under a pair of beech trees which produced several species of fungi this autumn showing one more. The beech milkcap is, as the name implies, a specialist in growing in association with beech trees.

The second of the West Park interacting herons (see previous two posts). The bird had already landed, settled, and started watching the other heron when it first came into view. It didn’t seem to move very much at all for the ten minutes or so that we carried on watching them.

The first of the two herons which were interacting on the West Park island recently (see previous post). This is the slightly smaller of the birds, possibly female. Most of these pictures were taken before the other one appeared.

During this period, the bird was very active preening. It kept turning round, hunching and generally shifting its posture.