Yellow brain fungus

Walking in a nature reserve in the Forest of Dean we came upon, for the first time ever, yellow brain fungus (Tremella mesenterica). This fungus is parasitic and feeds on other fungi that feed on dead wood. The example we came across was on a dead oak tree. It was a soft gelatinous mass, slimy and wet with colours in the yellow/orange spectrum. I spotted its bright colours at a distance and thought it was a hat or glove, perhaps dropped by a child, and placed on a branch so as to be visible to anyone searching for it. The reality proved to be quite different.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900

Primulas and colours

There are many colours that take their name from flowers, and those flowers are the reference point for the particular tint of that colour. Violet, lilac, mustard and saffron spring to mind. So too does primrose, the wild example being Primula vulgaris, a pale yellow flower that appears in the spring. Plant breeders have bred from the wild primrose to produce primulas of a vast range of colours. We were in a garden centre recently and I photographed theses examples on sale. As I took in the range of colours I noticed there was none exhibiting the colour of the wild variety and I reflected that, to my mind, its subtle yellow outshines all its derivatives.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: iPhone

Chewie the cockerpoo

As fans of the "Star Wars" films will know, Chewie is an abbreviation of Chewbacca, the name of Han Solo's hairy co-pilot, a member of the Wookiee race. In our family, however, it is also the name of a black, white and grey cockerpoo belonging to one of my grandaughters. She obligingly posed for me as she claimed her position on our sofa.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

The greylag

The greylag goose (Anser anser) is the species from which most farmyard geese species have been bred. Alongside the Canada goose it is the most familiar wild (semi-wild?) goose, often being found on town and city park ponds as well as on more remote stretches of water. The British population of this goose is augmented by a winter influx of many tens of thousands more. The "lag" part of the bird's name is of great antiquity and means "goose". Hence that word is technically superfluous when referring to the bird.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900

Scots pine bark

The patterns in the bark of trees have often prompted me to take a photograph of their attractive qualities. I have several of plane tree bark, a couple of silver birch bark and sundry others. Today's image shows a section of scots pine bark, a species that I have also photographed previously. Tree bark varies in appearance with the age of the tree. Both the examples of scots pine bark belong to mature specimens.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Rook

One of the local rookeries, in trees on a roundabout of the A40 road, has sprung back to life this month and birds are preparing for the forthcoming nesting season. The rook (Corvus frugilegus) is a member of the crow family, a social bird and a colonial nester that doesn't mind if the trees it chooses are in close vicinity to people. The bird above probably came from this rookery and, like its fellow nest builders, was scavenging around the nearby fields and houses, searching for food. Its distinctive bill and the purple sheen of its broadly black plumage were well displayed.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300

Winter flowering cherry

One of the most attractive of the winter flowering cherry trees comes into bloom around the second week of February in my part of England. I've photographed the particular specimen shown above before, but haven't produced a photograph that I've liked. So, in the hope of getting something that pleased me I took a macro lens on a walk that took in the tree. The shallow depth of field areas set off the sharpness of the main bloom to much better effect I think. The lingering raindrops added a further dimension.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Worcester Guildhall and Queen Anne

Pevsner describes the Guildhall at Worcester (1721-4) as "splendid as any of the C18 in England". It is a large, imposing building of brick with stone details and may be by the architect Thomas White. Much of the fine detailing is on the upper part of the main facade. Here we see statues of Peace, Justice and Plenty above the large segmental pediment. This is filled with trophies of war that are painted and gilded. Below, framed by giant Corinthian pilasters is a niche with a statue of Queen Anne (formerly free standing). below is a broken-backed triangular pediment, above the main entrance, that features the city's coat of arms. The windows have segmental tops with keystone heads and aprons below. Statues of Queen Anne are not too common in Britain despite a style of architecture being named after her.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Spires and vertical accents

Is there a better vertical accent than a church spire? A case can be made for skyscrapers or mill chimneys but, without wishing to sound like the Victorian architect, designer and writer, A.W.N. Pugin, I have to say that a church spire (or two, or more) always improves the appearance of a village, town or city. This view of distant Ross on Wye seen from Wilton Bridge would be much less distinctive and distinguished without the early C14 spire and C18 pinnacles of the church of St Mary.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Preening drake goosander

I've mentioned before the obliging nature of some goosanders on the River Wye at Ross that now swim with the semi-tame mallards that people feed. Recently I've noted males and females preening as they drift about with the other waterbirds, a behaviour that seems to suggest they are comfortable near people. Preening allows the birds to put their feathers neatly together so they can fly, swim and dive most efficiently. It is also cleans the plumage and keeps parasites at bay. They can also spread preen oil from a gland near the tail that helps the waterproofing of the feathers. This male took little notice of me as I took my shot.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Earth in the abbey

A quick trip to Tewkesbury found us in the abbey confronted by a surprise - a massive model of the earth as seen from space filled the nave. It was part of the touring artwork called "Gaia", a multimedia installation by the U.K. artist Luke Jerram. The seating of the nave had been removed to allow the public to walk underneath and around the slowly rotating model.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Mill Avon fish belly sluice, Tewkesbury

The River Avon joins the River Severn in the town of Tewkesbury. A branch of the Avon, known as the Mill Avon, is a stretch of water that formerly turned the mill wheels of the Abbey Mill in Tewkesbury. Today it a haunt of small pleasure craft.

 In the 1990s the two old sluices at this location on the Mill Avon at Tewkesbury were replaced by a single "fish belly sluice". When in the "up" position this forms a weir: when "down", during a flood, water can flow freely. The control room for the new sluice was mounted on legs above the footpath that crosses the Mill Avon at this point.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Winter aconite

Two days before the end of January isn't especially early to find a winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) in bloom. But, apart from the earliest of blooming daffodils, it is early for a yellow-flowered plant. Consequently it is a useful source of nectar for any insects that are out and about braving the cold weather. The winter aconite isn't a native here but is found in mainland European countries to the south and east of us. In Britain it is a naturalized species, is more common in southern Britain, and is a favourite of many gardeners for that early colour.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100

Old rendered wall

Sometimes it's difficult to articulate why you take a photograph. This shot of layers of old render with moss or lichen on the side of a house in Ross on Wye is a case in point. If pushed I'd say the appeal was in the combination of colours and the textures. Such images sometimes have a face or or some other vaguely figurative element. That isn't the case here.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: iPhone