Another small sample of birds coming to garden feeders.
Lady Godiva’s Cross, Penn Church, with lichens
The so-called Lady Godiva’s Cross by the south wall of Penn Church, with two different kinds of lichens growing on the stonework.
It’s the base of a preaching cross, dating from late Saxon times, rediscovered in 1912. There’s no direct evidence of a connection with Lady Godiva, but it’s plausible. Penn was one of her many manors, and was reputed as a donor to many religious foundations throughout the midlands.
Monkey puzzle – flowering in winter
As winter comes on, a monkey puzzle (araucaria) tree in a front garden was covered in what looked like newly emerging flowers.
Umber-brown Puffballs
Puffballs, possibly umber-brown puffballs, growing on a front lawn on a quiet residential street. The hole the spores come out of wide open on most of the balls.
Danger – gull preening
The danger signs around the edge of the lake at West Park are a favoured perching post, here for a black headed gull preening its feathers.
Jellybaby fungi, Old Nursery wood
Small mushrooms which were growing through moss and leaf litter in Old Nursery Wood in the Smestow Valley Nature Reserve, these jelly babies are not edible, despite the name.