Listeners' pictures at 5pm
At 3.30pm this afternoon I dodged the showers to walk out across the local fields, recently ploughed up by the farmer, with my 5 month old Welsh terrier pup in tow. Being full of mischief and curiosity he soon ended up getting stuck under a hedge and I stooped to rescue him from a small thicket of nettles. Almost immediately my eye was caught by an ususual shape emerging from the tangle of dead stems nearby and I reached into my pocket for my camera, inwardly blessing my dog.....
In short, if it hadn't been for Murphy's misfortune, I'd never have found this rather wonderful specimen of a Dog Stinkhorn (appropriately enough!). I'd seen them before, but never such a fresh one, and because of its recumbent position, was able to photograph it revealing the egg-like sac from which it emerges. Once home, I uploaded my images to my computer, and got out my fungus identification guide to read more about Mutinus caninus. Meanwhile Radio 4 was on in the background, and with my camera at hand beside me it was easy to respond to PM's call for pictures.... so here is my 'Window on our (Natural) World' .... see attached.