Wolves Wild

Winter aconite flowers just emerging in a sheltered corner of Stratford on Avon churchyard over Christmas. Probably now getting nearer to open fully like they were here a couple of years ago.

Pied wagtail with a territory on both sides of River Avon at Stratford, seen feeding first by the left bank, then the right bank.

Lesser celandines, early flowering in the first week of January. One plant in a sheltered, often sunny spot on the bank leading up to Hawthorn Wood opposite the Wildside Centre. The others in a front garden at Newbridge.

Goldcrest hunting for insects to eat as it walked quickly along the twigs of the tree I was under.

bright red crab apples seen against the sky on a sunny winter morning. Seen reflected in a puddle, as well as looking directly at the fruit.

Crowned earth stars (Geastrum coronatum) by the canal towpath at Compton. The tow fruiting bodies with the pale “crowns” were detatched from the ground, and had shifted position between two visits a couple of days apart. They may have been knocked over by someone walking or jogging by; a dog, or one of the badgers from the sett which has a series of entrances there.

Two other fruiting bodies were harder to spot, and were still sending out their masses of spores.

This distinctive fungus is on the Red List of Endangered species. But these are the third set of them I’ve seen along a couple of miles of the same canal path. Previous sightings at Compton and at Wightwick. Both of these were in the winter of 2013 / 14, and I’ve not seen them again in those spots.