Wolves Wild

New species, to me at least, of dragonflies on the pool at Compton Park. Three male ruddy darters yesterday, contesting for territory.

The largest area of open water remaining at the pool, by the decking, has been divided up for territory between three male common darters. Yesterday afternoon at another patch of open water, smaller and more hemmed in by reeds, the insect pictured here would briefly pause resting on the broken reed which was its look-out post before repeatedly taking off to repel one or both of a couple of challengers. When the insects stayed still for a moment and could be seen more clearly, they looked just like miniature versions of the common darters which were ten or twenty yards away.

Bracket fungus, the pores on its undersurface looking like solidified foam. It was growing on an ash tree in Himley Plantation.

Oak tree with a strange looking trunk growing in Himley Plantation. Is its shape the product of an infection when the tree was younger?

Hereford bull, not yet full grown, eating away like it was trying to build itself up as quickly as possible.

Tiny moth resting near the tip of a sage leaf. I couldn’t identify its species, but it looks to me like the pattern on its wings is an almost monochrome version of this more brightly coloured moth which was flying nearby.

Oyster mushrooms: the same species as on sale in some supermarkets. These were growing in abundance on a tree which had fallen across the Finchfield Brook in Finchfield, and were probably the ultimate cause of the tree falling.