David

The dryer than usual autumn has been bad for fungi, which normally peak at this time of year. My recent brief visit to Stratford upon Avon and vicinity was at least somewhat more productive than it has been in and around Wolverhampton.

A tree of heaven reflected in the Stratford canal, and leaves of a maple in a hedge by the Shottery brook, one of many such trees in the Stratford area.

Mistletoe doesn’t grow in the vicinity of Wolverhampton. These plants were pictured in and around Stratford upon Avon. Above, the abundance of berries was on a mistletoe growing on one of the apple trees in the garden of Anne Hathaway’s cottage in Shottery. The picture below was taken while having a beer on the terrace of the Dirty Duck and looking across the river.

An alder tree, with the cones bearing this year’s seeds visible at the same time as the catkins for next year.

Looking like discarded necklaces, bryony berries festoon hedges at this time of year.

These were on South Staffordshire Golf Course, on the edge of Tettenhall.

Not sure what the plant was, but it had caught the water after a night of heavy rain.

The main stem of a dock, with seeds. This plant appeared to have lost all its leaves.

Just a few feet away from yesterday’s mushroom. Despite the stronger colour, this tiny mushroom was even harder to spot.