Wolves Wild

Moss and lichen growing on a tree trunk which was on the far side of a high fence, leaning over the flow of the River Exe.

Some of the many cormorants resting on the protective structure above a weir in the River Exe by Exeter Quay.

The quay is less than 15 minutes walk from the city’s main shopping streets. It is lined with historic buildings, now reused to hold pubs, cafes or antique shops, while the river attracts large numbers of birds.

The subtle shades and textures of iron corroding. These were chains and weights from the tackle used by working fishing boats at Ilfracombe harbour, seen in overcast conditions on Boxing Day.

Common gull by name, although less common than several other gull species.

Ear fungi usually grow on trees, often elder. These were on the wooden fence around some derelict property.

A pair of goldcrests overhead, full of the joys of spring in late December. It was only later that I noticed that the camera settings had left some of the pictures as silhouettes.

Capstone Hill, on the sea front at Ilftacombe, illuminated in the evening. The lights reflected by the tide coming in to Wildersmouth beach.

A clump of blackthorn bushes, all stunted because of their exposure to coastal gales. The trunks were all covered in lichen – possibly the same type as in the last post. The purplish colour at the top of the bushes may be the coming year’s growth. The purplish colour beyond the bushes on the right is heather in flower.

The scene was the Morte peninsula at the northern end of Woolacombe bay.

Abundant lichens growing on a sea-facing rock face. Despite the different forms in which it is growing, it amy all be the same type.

Gorse can flower at any time of the year. In winter their yellow is a contrast to the bare or even barren appearance of much of the vegetation.

The source of the next few posts is a brief stay in Devon over Christmas. Birds I didn’t expect to see there, any more than in the west midlands, were emus.

But just a few minutes stroll from Ilfracombe harbour, an enclosure held several of them. They were spending most of their time scanning the ground for food, perhaps worms. An English winter is rather different to the sorts of weather in their antipodean homelands, but they looked like they were doing fine.

Bullrush seed head growing horizontally. The warm, wet winter has helped a layer of algae to grow on the upper surface, turning the colour from brown to green.