Crafty Green Boyfriend accompanied me on my Monday walk along the Water of Leith today and took these photos. The honey fungus in the first photo is magnificent, but probably very bad news for the tree. The black spots on the fungi are fungi gnats.The shield bug in the second photo is a lovely specimen, I saw one just like this last week too but couldn't manage to take a photo of it.
The third photo gives some idea of how thick the air is above the river with mayflies, stoneflies and other small insects - wonderful food for the birds and bats along the Water of Leith. 
Wow, that last photo is nuts! Enjoy your sunny day!
ReplyDeletecan nothing be done to help the tree? i'd hate to think that fungus could destroy it. that last photo is something else. hope all is well.
ReplyDeleteThanks Storialist!
ReplyDeleteNaquillity, too late, the fungi is running right through the tree by the time the fruiting bodies are visibile like that, but dead wood is a great resource in woodland for insects, fungi and plants.
The fungus is beautiful in it's own way, part of the natural cycle of life and death.
ReplyDeleteWOW! The flying insects sure are thick!
What a wonderful place!
ReplyDeleteWhat great photos. Love to see your Leith surrounds. Was brought up in Dunedin where also had a Leith River.
ReplyDeleteFungi is great, but the insects get the prize for me!
ReplyDeleteThat is quite a fungus!
ReplyDeleteWow! Those bats and birds are in for a feast, I think.
Kat
bad news for the tree
ReplyDeletethe magnificence
of the honey fungus
Love the photograph of the honey fungus. And wow, that last photo is crazy!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed taking a look at what you walk looked like. Hope you had a great weekend!
Good sign there, for the Leith - all those bugs. Are there good fish in that river? What eat the bugs?
ReplyDeleteThe more you write about Leith, the more we want to visit
ReplyDeleteSuch a cycle of life and death. No more present than in nature every day.
ReplyDeleteIt can kill the tree?...I love the fungi..I remember seeing something similar to that in the woods near my grandparents' cabin. Thank you for taking me back to that lovely memory for Nature Notes... Michelle
ReplyDeleteThat fungus is huge and so interesting looking. Also good shot of the bug and the lush growth.
ReplyDelete