Epiphanies

That snail? Don't know what species. It was the first shell of that kind I have found. It might be a brown-lipped snail but I failed to photograph the lip so I can't be sure.

Anyway, this was a day of discovery. My friend Entomologist Tim says he likes to have a picnic every week, so I decided to have my lunch in the copse followed by tracking and trailing.

I found the fallen trees that inspired me last March. And they look to be still alives, with buds ready for spring!

Then I focused on the moss. This was in part due to thinking about the temoperate rainforests. But anyway I found five different ones!

Don't expect this to relate to the pictures... but I saw Crisped Pincushion, Shingle Moss, Star Moss, Cypress-leaved Plait-moss and Eurhynchium Praelongum. Pretty cool?

Plus a few different lichens.

And fungi!

Hairy Curtain Crust, Velvet Foot and Purple Jellydisc as well as more Fairy Fingers.

I was wandering around, trying to find mammal prints, when I realised the centre of the copse was very open.

But I had to scramble through bramble and hawthorn to get back out.

On the way back to the car, I inspected some holes by a stream. I had been hoping it would be water voles, but I think it's rabbits. Much of the year, this ditch is dry.