The blusher is a toadstool which gets its name because it turns a delicate pink when it is bruised or aging.
These were part of a group growing on the lawn of a block of flats on Compton Road at the end of last month. The species can be visible any time from late summer well into the autumn.
This nettle was part of a small patch where all the uppermost leaves were a much paler shade of green than the rest of the plant.
There have been kestrels living on Union Mill, visible from the platforms of the railway station for a long time. But it seemed that whenever I took my camera to try to get a picture, they decided to spend the day somewhere else.
Finally I saw one when I did have a camera. It did eventually move into a position where it was showing itself just before my train was due to go. This was after it had spend some time with its back directly pointing at the station (final picture).
The bumble bee is visiting one of the umbellifers which thrive in the field behind Compton Lock.
There are grains of pollen sprinkled on its back and legs.
Insects in the Smestow Valley Reserve feature today. This red admiral made a brief pause on vegetation just inside the entrance from Compton Hill Drive to the Barley Field.
Yellow-tailed moths are quite common, but these are the first I ever noticed – they look just like scattered down when they are at rest.
Apart from the tail, which can’t be seen here, they are pretty mush all white.
This pair of moths were spotted just up the road from the one in the previous post. They may have been mating.