Wolves Wild

Spring is finally getting going. The buds were beginning to appear on lime trees last week.

View from the bridge where Windmill Lane crosses the canal at Wightwick.

King Alfred’s fungus (alias coal fungus or cramp balls) grows on trees or dead wood. It does indeed resemble pieces of coal or, perhaps, buns which have been allowed to burn by a fugitive king.

The layers, visible in the partially eaten example above, mark phases of growth, like tree rings.

Like the horse’s hoof fungus in the previous post, cramp balls are inedible, but the dried interiors can be used as tinder.

A mature specimen of this bracket fungus.

Pieces from the interior of such a fungus were being carried by Ötzi the Iceman when he died. It can be used as tinder to help in lighting fires.

More spring flowers at last. Violets and the lesser celandines from this patch have already featured in pervious posts as they began to open.

Like many native mammals, its easier to spot traces left where otters have been than to see the animals themselves – specifically, the spraint left in the area they use as a toilet.

This was from an otter on the Pendeford Mill Nature Reserve, by the river Penk.

The warmer weather has finally brought on some flowers, providing welcome daffodil pollen for insects like this fly.

Bracket fungi, whimsically seating for tree nymphs.

Growing on two of the trees on the bank of the Smestow not far from the Nature Reserve Ranger Station.

CORRECTION: identified by Lukas Large as possibly blushing brackets

More of the impressive livestock at Pendeford Mill Nature Reserve. These birds are hens, not, as I thought, cocks.

This peahen is part of the stock at Pendeford Mill Nature Reserve. The plumage looks like it would be a hindrance in the wild, though less so than the gaudier males.

One of the primroses by the Smestow Valley Ranger Station after heavy overnight rain had bounced some bits of soil onto the flowers.

Soay sheep ram (first 2 pictures), part of the livestock at the Pendeford Mill Nature Reserve.

Castlemilk moorit ram, also at Pendeford Mill.

Ewes from both breeds are kept in another field across the road. They were pictured here.