Not a bad set of images for an October day.
Scattered showers.
One of the Dor beetles - Geotrupes stercorosus.
I knew that the underside was an excellent metallic violet colour, so I flipped it over to get the shot. On investigation back at the computer I spotted this mite on the underside:
A single specimen of Hogweed was flowering and the hoverfly Leucozona glaucia was nectaring alongside the little red-abdomened ichneumonid.
A photograph that I've dreamed of taking. The round object on the Oak leaf is made by the Cynipid wasp Neuroterus numismalis. It's about 3mm diameter. I watched this minute (2mm) ichneumonid laying eggs into the gall. I've read of such behaviour, but never seen it. A privilege to see and record.
These two images give some sense of scale. The ichneumonid is bottom left on the right-hand image.
Xylaria hypoxilon - Candle snuff fungus - on a still-living Alder.
I've seen this gilled bracket on dead trees in this location for a couple of years. Crepidotus mollis.
A rare shot of Leotia lubrica in sunlight. I usually find these in dark places.
The Tawny Funnel cap, Lepista inversa. This often forms rings that expand year on year.
Myxarium nucleatum - a Myxomycete - grows on dead logs.
An algal infection on Ivy. Phycopeltis arundinacea.
A pale puffball that grows along the line of subterranean wood or roots, often in very dense clusters. Lycoperdon pyriforme.
The Red-cracking Bolete - Xerocomus chrysenteron.
