Wolves Wild

Young heron at what seems to be a favoured spot, wading in the Avon at Stratford and catching small fish.

Looking very tranquil for a Wolverhampton city centre site, Anglers’ Pool in Fowler’s Park recently.

Pair of tufted ducks on the lake at West Park, with their characteristic tufts of feathers at the back of the head. Although their plumages are almost monochrome, the male’s is as in many species, easier to spot with its bright white area.

Stratford on Avon Tropical Butterfly Farm: a (presumably local) spider eating a butterfly caught in its web.

White wagtail running along by the edge of the river at Stratford on Avon, catching insects. Then it decided to fly across to the other bank.

Red berries on a snowberry: on a few of the berries the reddish colour is patchier, giving way to the more usual white.

Swan in full threat posture powering upstream on the Avon at Stratford. It was going so fast that every time it paddled one of its legs, the thrust raised its body out of the water. This one was the hindmost of three birds, strung out in a long line, all swimming in the same way for over a hundred yards. I couldn’t see what, if anything, they were responding to.

Black lumps growing from tree trunks, another of the commonly spotted fungi at this time of year. It’s got various names, including coal fungus, cramp balls and King Alfred’s cakes. These were further supporting what looked like a mould on their lower surface.

Artist’s palette, one of the commoner fungus to be found in the winter months, growing on the trunks of deciduous trees. Theswe were by the River Avon at Stratford, on willows on an island at the town lock.

Playing can’t see you: three herons on the island on West Park lake. When two or more of these birds are standing nearby other, they often seem to arrange themselves as if they are studiously ignoring each other.

Yellow stagshorn fungus, a common, bright yellow to orange fungus most easily found growing on the ground in winter.These were growing on a woodland floor.

The first snowdrops I’ve seen flowering this winter, out on Christmas Eve in the garden at new Place, Stratford on Avon. A second clump were in the garden of another Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Hall’s Croft, a few days later.