Wolves Wild

Japonica flowering in January in front of one of the desirable residences in East Castle Street, Bridgnorth.

Some of the greylag geese in West Park. The birds came across the boating lake as a group, got out and walked to a nearby puddle. There they went for a paddle, some of them having a good drink of the water.

At least one set of chicks were successfully raised in 2013, and at least two sets in 2014. There are now almost twenty greylags in the park, often moving as one group.

White and yellow crocuses in Bridgnorth’s Castle Grounds Park a couple of weeks ago. I don’t know if the Severn valley channels milder atlantic influences to the town, but the vegetation often seems to be that little bit further ahead there than it is here in Wolverhampton.

Teazles growing by the River Severn, backlit by the winter sun.

Two of the West Park mallards walking and skidding on the ice on a partially frozen lake, finding something to eat.

Shovellers are ducks with bills that get wider towards the end. They feed by shovelling along the surface of the water to filter out the vegetable matter they eat.

Snow, already rapidly melting, on a flower and some buds of a camellia.

Two of the West Park magpies coming down the wall of the lake to a spot with a missing stone which give them easy access to bath in the water.

Three Northycote Farm cocks, each trying to get higher than the others on a piece of farm machinery.

Sheep peacefully grazing in a spot which was once filled with the bustle of Roman legionaries. Mile Flat at Greensforge cuts across what was a Roman military camp almost two thousand years ago.

A low-lying fungus, or perhaps a slime mould, on a tree trunk. Its surface was a patchwork of browns merging into purples and white.

Clutch of ripening cones. The lowest one still had traces of green but the others had already turned brown.