Wolves Wild

This clump had just a couple of flowers remaining when I saw it growing at the edge of the river Anker in Tamworth in the middle of August.

At first the kernels of the berries are green and the outer covers are a paler green, and cover less than half the kernel. To me, they look more like miniature acorns at this stage.

As the berry ripens, the kernel swells. The covering layer begins to redden and to advance down the kernel.

Riper = yet redder cover with yet more complete coverage.

Varying degrees of ripeness in berries which are almost touching. Perhaps it was the time of day I was there, but there seemed to be a direct effect that the berries in the sunniest spots had come furthest along.

These pictures all taken within a few minutes, of berries on the same yew tree in West Park.

Hat tip: Jefny.

These two manage to survive although greatly outnumbered by the Canada geese on the West Park lake.

The leaves were just beginning to turn on this rowan and a few of the other trees in West Park towards the end of August.

This squirrel was eagerly taking the food which was being offered by a couple of young children.

This family of swans were on the river Anker in the Castle Pleasure Grounds, Tamworth.

I think it was the cob (male bird) leading with an aggressive posture, and the pen as tail-end charlie.

As the swans swam downstream, several passers-by got out their mobiles to take pictures.

I went to try to get a picture of the heron which seems to spend some nights on one or other of the islands in the West Park lake. The bird heard an early morning jogger, and flew away, so I took this view of the gentle light of dawn as a consolation prize.

The seeds from this thistle were detaching from the plant, but still forming a tangled mass which was catching other detritus. The whole plant, which was on the bank of the river Anker in Tamworth, is pictured below.

A section of sandstone cliff opposite Quatford church, showing the layering this rock is prone to particularly clearly. A closer view also shows the rock is covered in graffiti – another result of its softness.

This spider’s web had been spun across the decaying vegetation which had fallen to the ground.