Wolves Wild

The River Blythe at the Packhorse Bridge Local Nature Reserve, Hampton in Arden, normally a narrow, rather gentle stream. These pictures, taken from the historic packhorse bridge a few days ago, show the effect of the recent heavy rains.

The tree stump and the line of fence posts mark the top of the normal left bank of the river and the edge of the bordering field. That field was almost completely covered to some depth with water, which seemed to extend back towards a nearby lake. The river was flowing not just under the bridge, but altogether perhaps three times its normal width under the causeway leading to the bridge.

Small earthstars with a patina of green, presumably from algae growing on them.

Growing, like this one, by The Royal metro stop.

One of the West Park squirrels taking time out to deal with an itch before looking whether I had any peanuts on offer.

This winter’s rain and winds mean there have been very few frosty mornings. When it happens, frost on sunlit morning adds a finishing touch to the appearance of the vegetation of winter.

The growth rings, unevenness of the bark, and especially the grooves left by the saw have provided sites where the crystallisation of the frost has been focussed on this tree stump.

For many years, there used to be a pair of exotic Muscovy ducks at West Park. More recently, it seems down to one, which still looks impressive.

Like the turkey, the bird has a misleading name. This species, too, originated in the Western hemisphere.

One of a group of earth stars which was growing in the civic flower bed by the first Metro station heading out from Wolverhampton city centre: The Royal.

The fungi were easy to miss – not very conspicuous under the vegetation.

Views from both directions of Wightwick Mill Lock on the Staffs & Worcs Canal.

The lock and its surroundings were softened by the mist on Boxing Day morning.

A large earthstar,probably the collared earthstar, Geastrum triplex, the most accessible of a group growing under the hedgerow by the towpath heading into the countryside near Castlecroft.

This picture is of the same individual, five days later and from a different angle. A “collar” is beginning to develop.

The leaves and stems of an exotic shrub, lit by the (for once) bright morning sun, contrasting with the colours in the foliage of the evergreens in the background.

Wood pigeon hunching its shoulders and fluffing up its feathers to keep out the wintry cold.

Boxing Day, bright sunlight softened by mist which hung around for most of the morning.

My first picture that morning was this view looking across the pool to the ghostly trees bordering the Smestow Valley Railway Walk and the spectral trees of Tettenhall Ridge.

View looking across a field immediately outside Wolverhampton’s built-up area.