Stuart Milligan

A cloudy sunset over a strip of land (actually the island of Arran) on the horizon beyond a wide sweep of steely-blue sea.

Sunset on the first day of Samhain, the Gaelic winter, Irvine, Ayrshire.

🤭

Four photos of tiny black projections pushing up through short grass.

... and with Samhain nearly upon us, some appropriately spooky Earthtongues (2/2) #FungiFriends.

Two canary-yellow mushrooms/toadstools pushing up through short grass - possibly Butter Waxcaps.

Two creamy-white mushrooms/toadstools pushing up through short grass - possibly discoloured Snowy Waxcaps.

A tiny mushroom/toadstool with a globule-shaped, orange cap and a rough, orange shaft - possibly Bolbitius titubans.

A cluster of fine, white-tipped, black shoots of Candlesnuff fungus pushing up through short grass.

Some grassland fungi from Haggs Castle, Glasgow today... (1/2).

A montage of photographs of trees bearing different colours of autumn leaves including pink, salmon, scarlet, dark red, purple, yellow, peach and orange.

Some autumn colour in and around Shawlands, south Glasgow...

Excellent finds.

Some scenery from today's walk in Devilla Forest, West Fife.

More fungi, the Palmate Newt and ??? (3/3).

More fungi (2/3)

I found plenty of fungi and lichens in Devilla Forest today, as well as a Palmate Newt and a possible Pine Marten scat. Plenty of birds but none were close enough for phone photos (1/3).

Some interesting fungi in Pollok Park today...

Various stages of the pale pink mushroom (plus one white individual) pushing up through short grass.

At least seventeen Pink (aka Ballerina) Waxcaps scattered across a small front lawn.

I was delighted to re-find a troop of Ballerina Waxcaps growing on a front lawn in Woodfarm, East Renfrewshire today.

A crowd of creamy-orange toadstools clustered together against a wall.

A strange, grey lichen growing through moss and grass.

(3/3)

Little, wrinkly, grey and brown, parasol-shaped toadstools popping up through the grass.

Fat little toadstools with round, white stem and brown cap.

Tiny cream and grey grub, possibly of a gall wasp, on a jacket zip.

(2/3)

Red Fox down by the river.

Stripey spider suspended over a deep purplish-pink flower.

Tiny white toadstools, dwarfed by blades of grass.

A red ladybird covered with black spots.

Some finds from a wander around Battlefield and Newlands today (1/3).

Great photos, Mary. You definitely win the award for "Photos taken through the grubby window of a moving bus".

A ginger-coloured, hairy caterpillar of the Ruby Tiger moth on a gravel path.

A mostly redish-brown Yellow Dung-fly on a withered stem.

Large bumble bee (probably white-tailed) on the path.

... and the rest (2/2).

Bell Heather in glorious, shocking-pink flower.

A lone Rowan tree on a hillside overlooking Loch Tulla with blue skies overhead.

A group of Red Deer (including a big stag) on a grassy patch turning brown and yellow with the changing seasons.

A black-and-yellow-striped Broom Moth on a Cowberry plant with scarlet berries in the background.

A few of the smaller things found along the way... (1/2).

Interior of Bridge of Orchy Station Hostel with rows of bunk beds awaiting the next night's guests.

An inky black sky with a few stars showing - there were millions on the night - honest!

A view of the cosy interior - and a futile attempt to capture the glory of the milky way arching overhead...

Bright orange seed pods of Bog Asphodel.

Yellow flowers of Yellow Saxifrage going to seed.

The classic Fly Agaric toadstool: white stalk and scarlet cap with white freckles.

The view north with distant mountains, blue skies and gathering clouds.

A few more photos from that particular stretch...

Well done, Mary.

The two ducklings were found on the large pond again on 29th July and then on 7th and 11th August. By the latter date (today) they were approaching adult size and had assumed what I take to be first winter plumage (5/5)

Two sleeping ducks on water surface turned green by reflection of vegetation.

Small ducklings on muddy pond.

On 21st July, the female (and the 6 drakes) could not be located. The assumption is that she left with the other adults, leaving the ducklings behind. The ducklings were asleep on the main pond on 21st (1st phoo) but two (possibly from another brood) were on the small pond on 22nd (2nd photo) (4/5).

Chocolate-brown duck escorting a very dark brown ducklings on a muddy pond.

Only three ducklings were left on 29th June and only two on 8th July (when the first photo was taken, showing the female and one of the young). Two days later, the trio had moved back to the large pond (second photo) where six drakes were also present (3/5).

Chocolate brown duck with three of her four similar-coloured ducklings (the latter like little balls of feathers bobbing on the water surface).

By 27th June, the female had moved her brood (now down to four) to the adjacent small pond (presumably to escape the attentions of large gulls).

Dark-coloured duck and eight tiny ducklings silhouetted against the choppy water of a pond.

I have been keeping an eye on the Tufted Duck family in Queen's Park, Glasgow. This is their story...
The brood of eight newly-hatched ducklings first appeared (on the main pond) on 23rd June (1/5).

Are they Sloes? Difficult to judge size from photos.

Some hardy pollinators braving the wind and rain at Balgray Reservoir, Barrhead: Red-tailed, White-tailed and Buff/White-tailed Bumblebees, and an Eristalis sp. hoverfly.

Finding the fruit on the ground reminded me to admire the beautiful "crocodile skin" texture of the tree's bark.

Storm Floris was presumably responsible for the Pear tree in my local park dropping most of its fruit.