Wolves Wild

Shovellers – these are all drakes – snoozing in the lee of one of the islands on West Park lake.

Candle snuff fungus grows all year round on dead wood: tree stumps and fallen branches. It’s normally easiest to spot in early winter. That’s partly because undergrowth is at its minimum. But it also shows clearest then because it is whitened, I guess with spores.

Clearance work had removed some undergrowth, giving a better view of this stump with the fungus in its blackened form.

Are these indistinct wet footprints left by an otter? Something had come out of the water of a pool recently created as part of a new Stratford on Avon local nature reserve, crossed the riverside footpath, and gone straight into the river.

Half an hour later, when we walked back along the path, no sign was left of the footprints.

A cormorant flying high up and fast, following the river Avon downstream as it left Stratford by Lucy’s Mill.

I don’t know when the black swan first took up residence on the river at Stratford on Avon. We first spotted it early in January, not far from the Black Swan / Dirty Duck pub. It seems intent on becoming a feature. At least, it was still there two months later, and still being aggressive towards the local mute swans.

Luxuriant growth from lichens growing on trees by the river in Stratford on Avon. A sure sign of low levels of atmospheric pollution.