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David

Taking off: young lesser black-backed gull

Taking off: young lesser black-backed gull

Young lesser black-backed gull (juvenile transitioning to first winter) taking off from the boating lake lake, West Park.

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David

Turkey tail close-up

Turkey tail close-up

Close view of some turkey-tail fungus, a common bracket fungus – layers of fan-shaped brackets with concentric zones of different colours. Found on the trunks or stumps of dead trees.

Turkey tail close-up

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David

Reds: fly agarics, fresh, Wombourne

Reds: fly agarics, fresh, Wombourne

Growing in the short grass under a birch tree by a main road in Wombourne, a couple of fly agarics. The domed caps show that they must have been freshly emerged. They had, however, been up long enough for many of the so-called warts to be washed off by overnight rain.

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David

Reds: yew berries not quite ripen

Reds: yew berries not quite ripen

Berries on one of the West Park yews, not quite ripe. The fleshy coverings had not yet become as deeply red as when they are ripe, and the miniature cones inside were still just about visible.

Reds: yew berries not quite ripen

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David

Down out: cygnet preening

Down out: cygnet preening

One of the West Park cygnets preening, perhaps working to remove the grey down feathers to reveal the white adult plumage growing below.

Down out: cygnet preening

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David

Beautyberries, West Park

Beautyberries, West Park

Distinctive colour of these purple beautyberries on a bush in West Park makes them stand out in contrast with the more usual shades of autumn.