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David

Silkies, Boscobel House

Silkie

Surely one of the stranger-looking varieties of hens.

Silkies

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David

Wild watercress, Berkswell

Wild watercress, Berkswell

A ditch in a marshy field by the footpath heading away from the village via the churchyard is filled with abundant watercress. The last flowers were still blooming a few days ago.

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David

Chicken of the woods growing on a cherry tree

Chicken of the woods growing on a cherry tree

Young specimens of this bracket fungus are considered a delicacy, in Germany for example. In this first picture, the fungus is beginning to turn orange, having been around for a few days.

Chicken of the woods growing on a cherry tree

The paler yellow here was the shade when I first saw the fungus.

Chicken of the woods growing on a cherry tree

From the slime trails around it, it had already been attracting the attentions of one or more slugs.

Chicken of the woods growing on a cherry tree

I don’t eat wild fungi anyway, but the slugs were welcome to this one. The cherry tree which was its host was growing only a few feet from the ring road.

Chicken of the woods growing on a cherry tree

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David

Frog in water

Frog in water

A frog keeping as much of its body as possible under water to keep cool during the warm spell last week.

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Various heathers

Heather flowering, Highgate Common

The heather flowers were beginning to go over last week, but were still making a show on Highgate Common.

Bee feeding on heather flower, Highgate Common

A lone bumble bee was prospecting for nectar.

Heather flowering, Highgate Common

Heather flowering, Highgate Common

The paler flowers below were in a small clump of heather on Toposcope Hill in Baggeridge Park.

Heather flowering, Toposcope hill, Baggeridge Park

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David

Ruined windmill

Windmill, The Million

The conifers behind the mill are on the edge of the Forestry Commission wood the Million, near Kinver.