Heather just coming into flower in one of the heathy areas of Sutton Park.
A wider view of this landscape. The line of trees masks the railway line which cuts across the park.
Scarletina bolete
Scarletina bolete, a mushroom with a cap with an upper surface that looks almost velvety. This one was the best of several which were growing on the grassy area in front of the Finchfield shops.
The flesh exposed when a kicked-over one was cut turned blue almost immediately.
Damsons, almost ripe
Damsons, almost ripe enough to eat.
Sett
Entrance to a badger’s sett, in a sandy bank in a quiet country lane by Forestry Commission land. Setts normally have several entrances, usually better camouflaged by vegetation than this one.
The trail of sand below the entrance is characteristic.
Reeds, Wetland Lake
More of the vegetation on the margin of the new pool in the Smestow Valley, this time a patch of the reeds.
Lime hawk moth caterpillar
Lime hawk moth caterpillar, large and green, walking across a pavement surprisingly quickly.
It had dropped out of a lime tree just in front of me.
The structure sticking up or out was at the rear end, tail-like. The caterpillars of other hawk-moth species have similar structures.
Fallen feather
Single iridescent feather, probably from a magpie, which was lying in the middle of the towpath.
Unripe elderberries
Elderberries at different stages of ripening, even though they were growing on the same bush and pictured at the same time.
They are one of the fruits which which looks likely to produce a good crop this year.
Red hot poker
Kniphofia, or more familiarly red hot poker, flower growing in a bed at the back of the West Park Tea Rooms.
Moorhen and chick on flattened reeds
Something seemed to have caught the attention of this moorhen and young chick as they stood on a flattened bed of reeds.
