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Harrold Odell Country Park

28th January 2026

My mother fancied a short stroll followed by tea and cake and since the day was sunny and not too cold we went to Harrold Odell Country Park. The sheltered wooded areas near the cafe were home to lots of Winter Aconites and Snowdrops, it looks as if the area was cultivated to plant them and allow them to naturalize

A large clump of Snowdrops surrounded by a few bright yellow Winter Aconites adding a splash of colour to brown earth and fallen leaves.
A close up view of a cheerful bright yellow Winter Aconite flower.
A closer look at a couple of Snowdrops with the mint green stems and elongate leaves leading to a white flower which has yet to open fully.
A single small mushroom shaped fungi with a tall pale slender stem leading to a slightly pointed cap brown in the centre fading to white around the damaged edge.
A fallen tree trunk is home to a large quantity of pale brown almost peach coloured Jelly Ear Fungus rather randomly shaped and with a matt texture to the surface.
A pair of glossy fungi with tall rounded caps which are coppery brown on top fading to cream towards the base.
A cluster of long colourful yellow to pale green Hazel Catkins are lit up by the winter sun.
A young swan still in its juvenile pale brown and grey plumage is standing in shallow clear water.
A graceful adult Mute Swan swimming away from us with a rippled reflection of itself on the waters surface.


A patch of Snowdrops and Winter Aconites in the woods

A large clump of Snowdrops surrounded by a few bright yellow Winter Aconites adding a splash of colour to brown earth and fallen leaves.





Sywell Country Park

20th January 2026

Sywell Country Park is proving to be a handy place for a walk when the weather is less favourable. The paths are very good and fairly wide so there is no need to stray into muddy areas. We chose a pleasant and fairly sunny day for our walk

A view across a narrow part of the reservoir with a large thicket of bare trees on the far bank enjoying a bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds.
Bark chips are host to brown almost orange fungi with slightly paler stems and the edges of the caps are curled upwards revealing thick gills of the same colours.
A brown mushroom shaped fungi with a glossy lightly textured cap is leaning heavily to one side.
A large Cormorant is keeping watch from a fence post which is mostly submerged in the reservoir.
A rather plump red breated Robin is perched amongst the bare branches of a hedgerow.


A view across part of the reservoir taken from The Holmes

A view across a narrow part of the reservoir with a large thicket of bare trees on the far bank enjoying a bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds.





Summer Leys

16th January 2026

A sunny day in January meant a stroll around Summer Leys Nature Reserve. We didn't manage to visit all of the reserve as parts were flooded from the rather wet weather we have had. We did spot a few fungi and I have decided to try to identify some of them although some seem almost impossible to name

A cluster of large orangey brown glossy mushroom shaped fungi are growing on a tree trunk.
A single orangey brown rather droopy mushroom shaped fungi is growing on a tree trunk and the paler coloured gills on the underside are visible.
A cluster of very dark brown almost black fungi shaped a little like human ears are located on a lichen covered tree trunk.
A dark yellow almost orange fungus that looks a little jelly like and has a rather amorphous shape.
A large almost translucent yellow amorphous cluster of fungi looking rather damp and growing on the underside of a tree branch.
A small Blue Tit is inspecting a small mound of wild bird food placed on top of a fence post.
A handsome grey and brown Dunnock is choosing a morsel from a pile of wild bird seed.
A colourful Robin is looking rather content next to a plentiful supply of food.
A low winter sun is giving a flooded lake a yellow sheen whilst the far bank is almost silhouetted.


Growing on a tree and matching other images on more serious websites we think this fungi is Velvet Shank

A cluster of large orangey brown glossy mushroom shaped fungi are growing on a tree trunk.