Wolves Wild

Birch brittlegills are paler and pinker than the purple brittlegills featured in the previous post. These were growing just a couple of trees away from the purple ones in Bantock Park.

Purple brittlegill, one of several species of mushrooms growing under birch trees and conifers at the edge of the Pitch and Putt course at Bantock Park.

Another of the exotic shrubs planted in West Park so that something will be in flower at pretty much any time of the year. Fatsias originally came from Japan, and have fowers which start to open in the autumn.

Grey mushroom growing near the water’s edge by the canal at Castlecroft.

The delicate colours and elaborate structure of a robin’s pincushion is a gall, the rose bedeguar gall or moss gall. It is caused by a species of wasp which lays its eggs in wild roses.

The robin in the name is not the bird, but the woodland sprite Robin Goodfellow.

The fishing lake at Pool Hall, with the resident pair of swans taking off.

They flew, in a couple of short hops, towards the end of the lake. Then they seemed to start trying to boss around a group of mallards.

Earthstar fungi growing under the hedge by a towpath, almost hidden by nettles. They were collared earthstars, the commonest earthstar species.

Clump of mushrooms, probably glistening inkcaps, forcing their way through the tarmac of a pavement.

This is the fourth successive autumn the fungi have emerged from the originally newly-laid surface, enlarging their escape hole every year as they do so.

Some of the acers to be found round West Park as their leaves began to colour up for autumn, but before the recent strong winds began to bring down the foliage.

Largest of the acers in Bantock Park, its leaves colouring for autumn, and a closer view of some of the leaves.

Two of this year’s litter of Gloucester Old Spot piglets at Northycote Farm, searching for something to eat.

Some of the piglets from previous years feature in these posts.

The red of fallen leaves from the tree in the the previous post contrast with the yellow of the honey fungus growing from the base of the tree.

Sadly, this is likely to mean the tree’s days are numbered, with white rot killing off its roots.

CORRECTION: fungus identified by Lukas Large as spectacular rustgills