SPRINGTIME ADVENTURES , episode 20 - Under the old pines

These days I often go to a small forest made of tall, large, mostly curved and very old pine trees. I didn't make these photographs in one day like I usually do for these series. This is a compilation, kind of '' Best of '' or ''Greatest hits'' from the place under the pines.

And I think, a good starting point could be this lovely snake, Zamenis longissimus, called also Aesculapian snake, pretty cool name for a snake, I think, sounds very important. Here is hanging from a branch.

And some of these old trees are very twisted and curved so their branches often look like fat, oversized snakes.
This spring is raining a lot and in this humidity, on the forest floor, in lush vegetation with many types of shrubs, I found some edible mushrooms Macrolepiota procera out of season for this area, usually is to warm and dry for them in spring and you can find them only in autumn.

They were like this when I first found them. I didn't take them that day. I came the next morning and their umbrella was large and ready for a good meal.

Some black beetle was passing through ...

... continued to the border and then let herself fall in the grass below.

There were also this beautiful red, but a stinky fungus, that uses this smell to attract flies

There are usually more species of fly around this fungus

They help spread the spores

It's a beautiful fungus, looks like something from the coral reef

On the green shrubs meter, meter a half high, you can find many creatures.

Some are well camouflaged, like these young crickets

And some are very visible

Like this small hairy spider

That looks a bit like a ghost of the deceased spider... it's so pale and partially translucent

These beetles are very common here

You can always find one or two of them when visiting this place

And it's a cool beetle. Pretty photogenic.

Flowers are very rare here in the shade of the big trees. And when you find some, usually are small and far from spectacular ones on the meadows.

There is one plant down here ...

... pretty large and tall for that type of plant ...

... and on that plant, little pools of water are formed after the rain...

I always find some drowned fly in this water

Different species of flies

But always flies

Never other insects ... but maybe you had enough of this a bit dark and shady forest floor ... maybe it's time for a short look at the treetops and a clear blue sky

and a few words about the wild figs

that can be found in some places under the pines

They are usually intertwined with other trees and shrubs

You can find a lot of asparagus here

And often some creatures on them

Yep ... always some action ...

And now, back to the spiders ...

This one is very common on meadows and there can be found in big numbers. Here you can see him occasionally but
is a relatively rare find. Here is posing with the cocoon.

This bug with a good camouflage is very typical for these woods

And so is this lovely little fly

Manny broken branches on the floor are completely covered with ivy

yep

And there are many snails on the humid ground covered with moss

And now we are near the end ...

... a few pictures of cricket nymphae ...

... a closing snake shot ...

And that's it for today ... hope you like this ecosystem ... or at least find it interesting ... have a good day ... or night ... wherever on the planet you are ...

( As always on these posts on Steemit, all the photographs are my work. )

yep :)

... hehehe ... some bonus crickets :D

... and now ... that's really all for today...