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David

Umbellifers flowering, mid-November

Umbellifer flowering, mid-November

I was surprised to notice two umbellifers still flowering in the middle of November. This plant, with the striking pink rim to the flowers, was the one whose frozen leaf has already featured in a post
a couple of days ago.

Umbellifer flowering, mid-November

The plants were in the same field, on the same frosty morning, as the old umbellifer, and the umbellifer with ripening seeds, which featured in today’s earlier posts.

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David

Unripe umbellifer seeds, mid-November

Unripe umbellifer seeds, mid-November

Umbellifer seeds just beginning to ripen. Picture taken just a few minutes before the frosted umbellifer in the previous post.

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David

Frosty old umbellifer, mid-November

Old umbellifer, mid-November

The dried remains of the head of one of the summer’s umbellifers, seen on a frosty morning a month ago.

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David

Frosty fern

Frost fern

Just about everything has had a coating of frost on recent mornings, including this fern growing on a grassy bank.

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David

Moving across a half-frozen canal

Moving across a half-frozen canal

A mallard drake heading across the partly frozen Birmingham Canal earlier this week.

Moving across a half-frozen canal

First he gingerly stepped across a patch where the ice was (barely) thick enough to support him.

Moving across a half-frozen canal

He gradually sank into the water as he continued forward, seeming happier once he was able to swim.

Moving across a half-frozen canal

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David

Butter waxcaps

Butter waxcap

Several of the tiny waxcap mushroom species are bright yellow and do not blacken with age. If anything, these faded instead.

Butter waxcap

My guess is that these were the commonest such species, butter waxcaps.

Butter waxcap

Some of these had flattened caps.

Butter waxcap

One even had a cap with an upturned margin, putting the gills on display.