Project disaster

The safari's project for this weekend has been totally scuppered by the wild, wet, windy weather. Bullocks to it. We were supposed to be sneaking around on all fours in the undergrowth with the long lens for your delectation, but no chance; what we were looking for had decided that there wasn't enough shelter at its usual hidey-hole and had dug itself a burrow or summat - anyway whatever it was wasn't where it was supposed to be so macros ahoy here are some autumn fungi shots instead. No idea what they are - a yellow one!

And a purple slimy one.

Cor - Look at the slime on that! Impressive slimation of the grass as it's grown up through the surrounding leaves.

Late edit - they are both the same species - the yellow ones are older - Verdigris Agaric.

Back at Base Camp (thoroughly depressed at not hitting the target species we even considered a trip to the north east...) without my glasses I came across this excellent little Slime Mould. Which as if by magic turned into a soggy, collapsed Dandelion 'clock' when said spekatucles were brought into play. A flock of 9 Goldfinches came to the feeders mid afternoon, a fair number for us - are Goldfinches the new House Sparrows?
You should be able to make out three of the nine on the feeder - soz about the quality taken through a dirty kitchen window on a dull day with a long lens - crap really but there you go, beggers can't be choosers.

Who said I need to wear them more often?

Top bird of the day was going to be a nice male Great Spotted Woodpecker until it was totally eclipsed and usurped by an Eastern Crowned Coal Tit! - yes it was that good today. Neither gave anything near a photo opportunity in the wet gloom. Did get an Eastern Crowned Blue Tit caught red winged in the act of escaping from peanut prison, or Aflatoxinatraz (No offence meant guys know these are good quality nuts!)

To cap it all on the way back to Land Rover Frank did a runner after some smelly scent or other and vanished in the undergrowth for ten minutes or more wasting valuable brewing up time - naughty dog!

Where to next? The hour has dropped back to GMT, summer is officially over, so evenings are a no-go for few months now, but we are out on the beach again tomorrow at work so there may be something for you - no more Green Shore Crabs...promise!

In the meantime let us know what's done its damnedest to avoid being photographed in your outback.