May mayhem

this is a last minute dash to post before June is upon us.It's an assortment of flora and fauna from the past few days so forgive the randomness of the images..

Foxgloves tower everywhere,replacing the bluebells

 I didn't care that the slugs had got to this fungi well before I did-I was too excited to actually find some at long last.On looking further up the tree I could see some untouched specimens and decided a climb was in order..let it not be said that there is not much I wouldn't do to get a closer look

 ..

 Pleurotus (Oyster)-probably Pleurotus cornucopiae Branching oyster, purely because of the time of year

she was beautiful and very curious-nearly had my camera in her attempt to reach the leaves

farly certain this is a type of Melanoleuca or Cavalier,purely because of the longitudinal striations on the stem and the fact that some fruit very early in the season

Cavalier again

aha - the as yet elusive Guinea fowl.We have seen them on many occasions and followed their footprints in the snow but these birds run like the wind and are definitely camera shy

these tiny seed heads springing up from the moss were so vibrant in colour that I did take a good few shots but will not bore you with more than a couple

the next three images are all slime moulds-I did look the names up but have mislaid the piece of paper just for a change-will be back

I do recall this was called Wolf's milk though

Trifolium pratense Red clover

quintessentially England

A blustery bright Sunday afternoon with a new walk in mind mapped out on a scrappy piece of paper... a lesson learned indeed

the magnificent Oak



we were hopelessly lost by this point but the beauty of these swans and their cygnets serenely sailing down the stream were a welcome distraction-until they started hissing madly at us as they approached the bridge 



going one way...




half an hour later coming back...(.the bug box in Frankie's right hand containing a lone ladybird had lost it's appeal by now)



I actually went in for a shot of the Vetch and it wasn't until my lens was on top of it that I noticed the other guests

a rare shot where Frankie actually managed to keep her finger still ( and not lose the caterpillar) long enough for me to focus..

I have come across some fungi new to me in the past fortnight but I'm unable to identify it.Have hopefully found a forum which might be able to help- until then I shall continue to sulk that nothing in my reference books comes anywhere close to helping....

an army of caterpillars and a clutter of spiders

some much needed rainfall this weekend has livened everything up in the woods at least. The bluebells are nearly over but already the ferns are springing through in readiness to take over.
I was accompanied today by continual birdsong through which the echo of a cuckoo was constant.Even Milo careering through the undergrowth did not put them off. 

 My gaze was very firmly aimed skywards to avoid the multitude of caterpillars suspended on fine threads from almost every tree branch looking for something to alight on. I wasn't particularly successful and by the end of my walk had more than a fair few wriggling about on my person.The collective noun for caterpillars is rather strangely an 'army'.

to try and capture these on camera as they danced about in the breeze was a challenge in itself

there were an abundance of these beauties at ground level -equally as un-obliging as the caterpillars to be still for more than a moment

Starfish and sunshine

another glorious weekend on the South Devon coast-with thanks to dad & Joan

Frankie was enchanted by these rather endearing lambs on the next door farm which were having to be hand reared

Snakeslock anemone,beautifully vibrant

more anemones looking like globs of chocolate as they wait for the tide to come back in

in the 10 years that we have been visiting this part of the English coastline we have never come across starfish-so to fall upon these was a real find.The girls who were thrilled.

Ems even managed to pick one up..no mean feat when you are a complete princess about all things that might move,bend,squirm or wave an arm or two

a beautiful cliff top walk down to one of Devon's best kept secrets..

I still have a few more to add but they'll have to wait.

a sunny Sunday in spring

Dandelion clock

I have a headache from attempting to identify the woodland and meadow flowers that are now out in abundance- I have an overwhelming feeling of ignorance and frustration..

Marsh-marigold

for some reason these geese amused me no end  planted as they were in the middle of a field..

not a particularly good picture and I wish I'd got a telephoto lens to capture this nesting swan serenely tucked away on the bank of the lake

given the unseasonally dry weather these fungi were a real find on a tree stump.Of course I have absolutely no idea what they are.Frankie poked them with a stick to find they were gelatinous and almost like puffballs (although are not) . I will return in a couple of weeks to see what becomes of them. UPDATE 24/5/11-have just found out these are Enteridium lycoperdan or False puffballs and are in fact slime mould and not fungi at all (which would explain why there was no trace of them on revisiting the spot a couple of weeks later-mystery over!)

this specimen was on the side of an Ash tree and was the size and consistancy of a hard boiled egg..?

update on 24/5/11 -have just found out these are not fungi but slime mould Enteridium lycoperdon or false puff ball