Monday
Dec122011

Eagle

A golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos).  An immature bateleur eagle (Terathopius ecaudatus).

Photo taken at a Sci-Fi convention at Reading University on 2008-08-29.

Sunday
Dec112011

Mushroom

Mushroom

From 4 years ago: a birch bolete mushroom (Leccinum scabrum).

Photo taken beside the middle lake, Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2007-10-14.

Saturday
Dec102011

Goose in a Tree

An Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus) perching in a tree.  Egyptian geese are unusual as geese go in that they sometimes perch, and even nest, in trees.  One year, probably back around the year 2000, our resident pair on the large lake nested at the top of the broken trunk of a tree that leaned out over the lake.  Normally they nest on the ground among the bushes on the island.

Photo taken beside the large lake, Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2006-05-04.

Friday
Dec092011

Cork Oak

One of two small cork oak trees (Quercus suber) on the grassy area to the southeast of the large lake.

This is what the bark looks like:

And these are the leaves:

Photos taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2009-11-16.

Thursday
Dec082011

Orange Muscid Fly

From a warm day in early December: a female Thricops diaphanus (Diptera: Muscidae).

Photo taken in the Wilderness, Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK on 2011-12-03.