In the throes of Autumn (cont)

I took a deliberate detour across a field when I saw a pile of rotting logs, as I KNEW there'd be good fungi there. I was rewarded with this little throng! The light didn't really allow too good a picture, but they were beautiful in real life. They had a sort of waxy edging to them, making them look ghostly somehow. The moss on the trunk made a nice background, I thought. I THINK they may be shaggy ink caps, but I'm not sure.

This lady was asleep under a flower. She didn't move at all, and I got pretty close with the macro to take this shot. I took several, but this was the best one. She didn't seem to be feeding, rather resting. She was very lethargic, whatever she was up to. I noticed she was still there five hours later when I finished the walk and she'd only moved a little. Do bees die, hibernate or what in winter?

I think this picture sums up the air quality today - poor!

The reflections are nice, but the light makes everything look very drab.

Here's a 'conker', or horse chestnut tree, to give it its proper title. The ground was carpetted with it's brown fruit. Schoolkids would have a field day collecting them. I was on the lookout for sweet chestnuts though, but didn't see any on this walk. I HAVE noticed that this year seems to be a good one for them, and I expect a pocketful of plump ones before the week is out (if the squirrels don't beat me to it, which they often do)

A patch of nice orange fungi.

This little beauty was perched on a wall, amongst the moss. It was a devil to photograph because of the light behind it. I got this one in the end though, which I like and think is quite good. It was only about the size of your little finger end.

Looking up through the canopy, which won't be there in a couple of weeks time, as the wind will strip the brown leaves away to the floor.

Little brown bonnets! They look like a little family, don't they? They sat on a log, looking as pretty as a picture, so I made them into one.

A Mexican hat? That's what this one looks like? It was on the same log as the bonnets, but obviously not in their gang.

And that's it! A lovely day out in the Autumn air. Not at all cold (yet), but showing signs of what is to come. I'm looking forward to a few crisp, frosty mornings. Days when you can see your breath and can walk briskly without overheating. Days when the grass has an icy coat, and the puddles crack when you tread in them.

If I read the berries right, who knows, maybe even some snow?