If you're easily offended, look away now...


This is a Stinkhorn, one of the more phallic looking fungi. No doubt this sort of species was covered up by Victorian naturalists to save the honour of any passing women. Mind you, if it does remind you of a penis, and you are a man, I suggest that you make an appointment with your doctor urgently and get yours checked out. They are supposed to smell to such an extent that you can detect their whereabouts with your nostrils before your eyes have a chance to do so. I bent down to sniff the tip of this particular specimen (I did feel a bit perverted doing so) and can reveal that it was sickly sweet.

All this eroticism was taking place at Thundry Meadows, a Surrey Wildlife Trust reserve close to Elstead. It is an interesting reserve of Alder Carr, grassland and mixed woodland along a stretch of the River Wey. The picture below is looking across the river away from the reserve. Pretty...


I carried on afterwards to Thursley Common. In glorious weather and with a mere breeze, there were plenty of darters still on the wing. There must have been 30+ Black, 12+ Common and 1 Ruddy on show. The Black Darter below stayed still for a snap shot.


Also seen were 2 Woodlarks, 6 Stonechat and a Crossbill. Oh, and some more fungi - but I've done enough about them recently, so I'll shut up.

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