Spider Hiding In Web Under a Leaf Image

Here is two quick images of a Spider hiding under a leaf where he / she has made a little home for himself. Or herself. I don't know what type of Spider this is, but it looks like a variation of the common Garden Spider species. Or as I refer to them as, the one's with the shredded wheat legs! I love these spiders. They remind me of my childhood, as they were always around when playing and exploring outdoors.

This one has different patterning to the "normal" Garden Spider, and has what resembles a kippah / yarmulke (Jewish cap) on the top of its body. Click the images for a closer look. I like most Spiders except Wolf Spiders. I really don't like them anywhere near me. Too fast and too hairy!

Strange Little Biting Bug UK (Picture)

I come in from being outside in the back garden after messing around with an Alder tree (getting in between the leaves to water it in the pot), and can instantly feel something biting my arm! I look and there's this tiny little yellow bug biting me. It couldn't be anything else other than this bug, as it was in the exact location where the stinging (biting) was coming from. I blew it off my arm and managed to catch it. The bug looks like some kind of hybrid green fly. It's mostly yellow in colour, with a red stripe starting at the eyes and going down the side of the body. It also has white and red Antennae (feelers).  If you look carefully you can see that it does have a mouth needle for piercing through humans skin. Like it did to mine. Strange little bug.

I would post the original picture of it caught in a glass but the insect is so small in comparison that its not really worth uploading. But take a look at it magnified approximately 6 - 8 times above. Click the image to enlarge. Weird little insect. Does anyone know what this is? Can you identify it? The bite has not left me with any lasting effects, so I don't think its particularly dangerous. But I'd still like to know if this is just some well-known insect that I've never seen before, or something more exotic and not native to the UK.

Update: This insect has been identified as the nymph of a Campyloneura Virgula. Thanks goes out to the very knowledegable AmandaB over at the nhm.ac.uk natureplus forum for quickly resolving the mystery.

Coprinus Mushroom Ink Cap Image

Here is an image of a Coprinus Mushroom (Ink Cap). If you look closely at this picture you will see that the mushroom is actually melting / dripping from the bottom of the head. Surprisingly, this mushroom is edible. However, you must take care not to drink any alcohol if you decide to eat this mushroom. Click the images for a closer look.

IT IS POISONOUS if you eat it and drink an alcoholic drink at the same time. Or, I would imagine, even drinking alcohol on the same day as eating these mushrooms would be very dangerous. Don't do it!

Also, in case you were wondering, Ink Caps are not known to be hallucinogenic / psychedelic as far as I'm aware. Although some people have claimed that they felt a bit trippy after consuming large amounts of Coprinus Mushrooms, most people who know a lot about mushroom species dismiss this as just a placebo effect. But hey, who knows for sure. Check out this image on Flickr of a whole bunch of them rotting away.

Damson Plum Tree Images UK

Here are some quick images of what I believe to be Damson Plum Tree's naturally growing in the wild. Pictures were taken in the UK. I believe there are different species of Damson fruits, some look a little different to each other. However, they are all part of the Plum family. If you came here looking for Identification of a berry / plum you have seen, but the images here don't look the same as what you seen, it could still be a Damson / Plum of some kind. If you want to buy a Damson tree, they are readily available for sale online on sites such as eBay UK. Click the images to enlarge.