Wolves Wild

View looking across a field immediately outside Wolverhampton’s built-up area.

Another of the earth star fungi, unusual both in appearance and frequency, seen on a short walk along a towpath just before Christmas. A small group of these were growing near Compton.

Despite its very striking appearance, this rare species doesn’t seem to have an English name. Crowned earth star fits its appearance as the apparent inspiration for elaborate royal headgear, and is my guess at the meaning of its Linnaean name, Geastrum coronatum, and also its name in French, Géastre couronné.

Earthworm stretching and contracting its body to get away from a footpath and to a place of safety as quickly as possible.

Carrion crow resting on a twig, watching me suspiciously even though we were separated by the width of the canal at Wightwick.

West Park Conservatory recently. The pile of rowing boats, stacked for the winter, is beginning to be toppled by the persistent heavy winds.

One or perhaps two types of lichen growing densely on a branch which had blown off a tree and landed on the top of a hedge by the canal near Castlecroft.

The cup-like structures of the bright green lichen are the ascocarps, which produce the lichen’s spores.