The West Park swan family, including such of this year’s cygnets which were with the parents at the time, landing after taking a short hop flight from one side of the boating lake to the other. Perhaps practice in flying skills for the youngsters.
Yet another bird taking advantage of the large puddles left in West Park after persistent heavy rains. The most independent-minded of this year’s cygnets spending some time away from the rest of the family (nearby on the boating lake). It didn’t seem to be doing much, other than an occasional brief preen.
Small clump of horse mushrooms (Agaricus arvensis), which I noticed growing in a front garden. Someone had already uprooted one, so I was able to get a clear picture of the under-side; the gills and the ring on the stem.
More bird activity in the large puddles in West Park left after the recent heavy rains. One of the large flock of Canada geese goose-steps through the water, stirring up the lawn below, perhaps fiinding the flooding makes it easier to catch resident invertebrates.
Sulfur tuft mushrooms on a mossy tree stump, Himley Plantation. Common on dead wood, as here, and sometimes also near the base of still living trees, this wood rot fungus sends out fruiting bodies up to the early part of winter, coping with mild frosts.
The spelling looks wrong (American) to this oldie. Even words sometimes change.
Orange seeds with a bright pink cover, the distinctive fruits of a spindle tree. These were by the Railway Walk, opposite Cupcake Lane at Newbridge.
