Creatures of the Park

Having spent almost the entire day indoors Sunday, quite rightly by late morning yesterday Ula was keen to get out. The rain slowly disappeared and the wind was strong at times but no where near as fierce, so dressed in our waterproofs and wellies we were more than prepared. We took what is a regular walk for us, past the hospital over to Queen's Park. Ula walks the first part of this so of course it's at a slow pace.

I'm always amazed by how much we can discover even before we get to the park. We have enjoyed looking out for fungi this past month, there seems to be so much of it round here this autumn. Four or five pearly white, large, elongated mushrooms strike us on the first lawn we walk past. The most likely name Milky Conecaps I reckon, from a quick search. On arriving at the park there's even more of the stuff, and Ula is quick to point out any she sees, categorising them as "mummy", "daddy" or "Ula" fungus, depending on size (or so I'm guessing...). A thick-set, sticky browner than brown variety seems to like the edge of the path among the dead leaves and the neighbouring golf course (my attempts at classification come up with different varieties of Boletes, apparently yummy and often a culinary delicacy: I must be wrong!). We soon find several large families, one type with a flat, white, almost rippling cap; another a very attractive sticky rosy red blush - the nose of an old man with a cold in winter.

Most people put off by the weather, we pretty much have the park to ourselves. We stop to look at some wildflowers (yarrow - a Google search tells me - and buttercups) and hairy acorn caps, before the inevitable arrival at the play park. The park's glasshouse  has an indoor eating area, as well as a fish pond and a number of reptiles and other creatures, which is perfect for escaping the weather when necessary. We picnic there before a quick look at the animals before heading home; my favourites the axolotl and the schneider's skink, whose names I never tire of saying.