City centre from West Park, winter pre-dawn

Wolverhampton city centre

Looking towards the city centre from behind the West Park chalet on the morning after the first hard frost of the winter earlier this month. These first two pictures were taken about forty minutes before dawn.

Wolverhampton city centre

Wolverhampton city centre

I came back about ten minutes later for these pictures.

Wolverhampton city centre

Ridge and furrow field, Fens Pool LNR

Ridge and furrow field, Fens Pool LNR

Behind this small pond on the Dudley nature reserve is a field whose ups and downs are a surviving product of agricultural methods which were superseded several hundred years ago.

Pike in the weeds

Pike in weeds

I like this metal sculpture of a pike in weeds by the Dock, a side pool part way up Stourbridge locks on the Stourbridge canal.

The sculpture is high on a pole. There is reputed to be a real and big pike lurking in the pool itself.

Exotic mammals

Wallaby

This year’s Christmas special is one of a pair of wallabies spotted at an “animal adventure” near the start of the Stafford Road.

Wallaby

When photographed in mid-January, they seemed contented despite the harsh winter, if not as smug as the larger than life camel below.

Plastic camel

Whenever I have been passing more recently, the kangaroos have continued to look contented.

Fly agarics by Chapel Ash roundabout

Fly agaric

The toadstool with the colours of Christmas can sometimes be found on the edge of Wolverhampton city centre. These fly agarics grow near a birch tree and almost hidden among canes on the corner of Darlington Street and the ring road.

Fly agaric

Fly agaric

Fly agaric

Fly agaric