A Success Story.

We hear so much bad news about species decline that it is cheering to have a success story.

The photo shows a Little Egret, one of a pair, on the shore today at Silverdale.
I can well remember the thrill of seeing one in England for the first time 25 years ago in South Devon.

In the early 80s they were a very rare sight and then in 1996 the first breeding pair were confirmed in Poole Harbour, Dorset. By 2006 there were 500 breeding pairs at 60 sites. There are now 400 sites and it is estimated that there are 5,000 birds in Britain.

My extras today show two stages of one of my favourite fungi. This is the Shaggy Inkcap ( Coprinus comatus). They start off being pure white but within a few days they drip down from the rim leaving just the stalk.