I first noticed one patch of scarlet elf cups growing on a pile of dead twigs at the back of the former Tettenhall Station an Newbridge about ten years ago.
Since then, they seem to have been gradually extending their presence along the environs of the Railway Walk, getting ever nearer to Mecanno Bridge, adding touches of bright colour to the mid-winter undergrowth. This one, in another new spot, had already been found by some hungry creature.
The canal between Alderley and Wightwick used to be a regular winter refuge for little grebes (dabchicks). In recent years, the numbers have been falling. This winter, I haven’t made it down there very often, but I haven’t seen a single one alog that stretch.
Finally, as I was taking a walk along the towpath further downstream, heading from the Bratch to Awbridge, a sighting at last. A lone dabchick, repeatedly diving, repeatedly surfacing with a small fish then eating it.
Dryads saddles, a common bracket fungus. These were growing on the trunk of a tree by the Railway Walk near Newbridge.
I’ve been on the look out for earth stars all winter, previously without any success.
Finally, tried a spot in the undergrowth by the footpath along the Penk at Perton. Most years, there’s a handful of collared earth stars (by far the most common species) there. This year, I stopped counting when I got to twenty.
Every winter, alder trees have a mass of long dangling male catkins and cone shaped fruits hanging from the same twigs. The female catkins, shaped like the fruits, will begin to develop soon, green rather than brown in colour.
These were on a tree by the Penk at Perton.
Velvet shank mushrooms grow on dead wood in the winter months. When they are wet after rain, they look like they are slimy.