Wolves Wild

The new year’s catkins hanging from the same twigs as the old year’s seeds on an alder. Picture taken on a walk on Christmas morning.

Female tufted drunk standing above the water of West Park lake, with another female swimming nearby.

Small cluster of velvet shank fungi growing on a fallen tree trunk opposite Cupcake Junction.

Every few years, waxwings begin to run low on winter food in Scandinavia, and there is an “invasion” of these colurful birds which can sometimes reach the far south. It isn’t looking like like this is going to be one of these years, so here is a reminder of the last time they were here in large numbers. That was back in the snowy January of 2013.

A large bank of last year’s bracken, dry and browning, by the edge of a narrow side road at Quatford.

Female blackbird on the parapet wall of the old canal Bridge at Newbridge, eating a small amount of grain someone had scattered on the stones. She had just, too quickly for me to get mu camera out, chased off another female which had landed first to eat the food.