Wolves Wild

Distant view of Bushbury Hill early on a frosty morning, as seen from Wolverhampton city centre.

A walk along the canal towpath a few days before Christmas produced two or perhaps three different species of earthstar growing under the hedge in a couple of miles between Compton and Castlecroft.

Earthstars are exotic-looking fungi which are not particularly common. Collared earthstars like this one are the easiest to find although most field guides rate them as “infrequent”.

This was one of several fruiting bodies – the others half-hidden by vegetation and fallen leaves. Overnight rain had left it with a small pool of water and a slightly shiny surface.

Two of a group of ten or so fieldfares, resting high in an oak tree.

Fieldfares are so-called “winter thrushes”, birds which breed in Scandinavia, and migrate south to the relative warmth of wintry Britain.

Fieldfares and redwings can be seen in flocks, often with both species in the same, mixed flock. The other winter thrush species arriving in large number is blackbirds.

Ivy seeds swelling as they ripen. The flowers at the front of each clump probably caught the sun to open and get fertilised earliest.

As the seeds ripen in the new year, the green of their covering will darken towards black.

Robin in ash tree, singing to warn other robins off from infringing on its territory.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davea2007/11489986533

Clitocybe houghtonii – despite the striking appearance of these mushrooms, they are not common enough to have an English name.

They grow in clumps on the ground in woods, and have white or creamy to yellowish caps and slightly pink gills.

A summer and autumn species: these were ones we were shown in the Northycote Farm woods on the fungi foray back in October.

A group of black and white inkcaps growing on a wooded grassy bank by Wolverhampton ring road.

Possibly hare’s foot inkcaps, but when I noticed them they were ahowing signs of age so it was hard to be sure.

Pair of mature ash trees growing by the farm track/bridleway which heads off from Castlecroft.

The twisty shape of the trees is no longer softened now they have lost their leaves for the winter.

A stuffed toy, perhaps a meerkat, standing guard on the tiller of a moored canal boat.

Graffiti artists rarely deal in wildlife themes. This was on an arch of the viaduct carrying the railway across the canal at Oxley.

This small flock of ewes and lambs grazing outside a Balsall Common pub looked convincing from a distance. The shepherds seemed to have got fed up of watching their flock, and popped inside for a quick one.

The Birmingham Bull was given a jumper and jeans in the run-up to Christmas this year. Here is a picture without the clothing.