Bufo bufo – the common toad

Bufo bufo – the common toad

The common toad is one of only two toads native to the UK; the other toad is the natterjack, which is smaller than the common toad, much rarer, and tends to live in coastal areas, in sand dunes and sandy heaths. With photographs taken by Sally Murray, as she was...
Amanita  Muscaria – Fly Agaric

Amanita  Muscaria – Fly Agaric

  This fly agaric (Amanita  muscaria), native to the UK and one of the most easily recognisable fungi in the world, was photographed near the golf course. The bright red cap with white spots and white gills, is a sign that autumn has arrived. The fly agaric is...
Coprinus Comatus – Shaggy Ink Cap

Coprinus Comatus – Shaggy Ink Cap

This common fungus (Coprinus comatus) is the shaggy mane or shaggy ink cap, sometimes called the ‘lawyer’s wig’. The cylindrical mushroom has soft, delicate scales and fragrant nutty smell. It is sometimes confused with the poisonous common ink cap, which has a...
Araneus Diadematus – Garden Spider

Araneus Diadematus – Garden Spider

This is one of the most common of the 650 species of spider found in the UK and is known to most as the Garden Spider or Garden Cross Spider, as a distinct white cross can be seen on the spider’s back (this photo shows the underside of the spider). It is found, as the...