Bright red contrasting with the predominant greens, the last of the holly berries on one of the bushes in Hawthorn Wood.
Bird in the bush: canalside sparrow
male house sparrow, not at all worried that I was close by and watching him, because he was secure in the middle of a hawthorn bush.
Frost-resistant fungi: hairy curtain crust
More bracket-type fungi, which tend to cope better with been frozen and thawed. These are possibly hairy curtain crust, growing from a stump on Northycote Farm.
Frost resistant fungi: candle snuff
The guide books say that candle snuff (also called stag’s horn) can be found all year round. But it becomes more noticeable during the winter months, when there are fewer leaves around to hide it. It grows on dead wood, including tree stumps.
Hawthorn wood, winter morning
Hawthorn Wood, between the Railway Walk and the canal. Given more atmosphere than usual by a bright winter sun shining through early morning mist.
First snowdrops, Bantock Park
Back in the middle of the month, the first snowdrops were just starting to flower under the trees in Bantock Park.