Wolves Wild

Poppies at the edge of a field of almost ripe wheat, and a closer view of an ear of the cereal.

Chicken of the Woods is a fungus which grows like a stack of shelves on the trunks of trees – here high on a dead tree. It is reputed to taste like chicken and is considered by some to be a delicacy.

Berries ripening on St John’s Wort bushes in Bantock Park. The larger berries are at different stages of ripeness on the same bush (and pictured at the same time). The other picture is of a bush only yards away, evidently a different variety.

In mid-August several common darters had divided the water of Wetland Pool into their territories. many of them seemed to prefer resting or displaying on the wood of the footbridge railings or the planks of the waterside decking when they weren’t flying patrolling their territories.

There are at least four, possibly five, individuals here, all pictured within a few minutes. There were at least as many in the air. As far as I could see, all were male.

A common darter dragonfly rests on a wooden pole which vandals have thrown into the water of Wetland Pool in Compton Park.

Red-eyed fly walking across the half-open flowers of a ragwort.

Tansy flowers in a clump on the top of their long, thin stalks, in late summer when many other plants have finished flowering.

Many of this year’s sloes seem to be developing with disfigured skin. These are an example, as are ones seen earlier on the same set of bushes.

The lone cygnet raised by the swan pair on West Park pool, now big enough to be independent. The shots with the somewhat smaller bird and the pen (female adult) were taken exactly one month before, when the parents were still very protective.

Earlier the parents had been even more protective.

The cygnet is now swimming alone or with the Canada geese, and there are no signs of the adult birds.

Heron which had decided there were too many people around the canal near Wighwick.

Berries on a buckthorn bush which was growing on a patch of rough ground by one of the roads on Wolverhampton Science Park.

Arrowhead leaf is a perrenial plant which grows in shallow waters, including in canals locally. It was originally native to north and central America.

Either I am noticing it more often, or it is spreading in the canals.