PeterP
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thepipkins.bsky.social
PeterP
@thepipkins.bsky.social
420 followers 330 following 160 posts
Peter Pipkin OBE. Royal Navy veteran, chartered engineer & occasional photographer travelling the UK’s inland waterways in narrowboat Heart of Oak.
https://peterpipkinphotography.myportfolio.com
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thepipkins.bsky.social
Happy #MushroomMonday 🍄😁 I call this photo ‘The Kiss’ as it looks like they’re puckering up for some smooching 😚

Have a great week.
#Fungi #Autumn #Photography
Two small, caramel coloured mushrooms growing from the cracks of a fallen tree branch. Their caps are both split at the very tops, in a symmetrical cross pattern, that looks much like puckered lips ready for a kiss.
October 27, 2025 at 8:08 AM
thepipkins.bsky.social
We have fungus on fungus for #FungiFriday 😁 The ’growth’ is a parasitic fungus that targets mushrooms. I didn’t spot it a first and luckily had my macro lens with me for a closer look 🔎🍄‍🟫.

What would more magnification show I wonder? 🦠👾👽

#Woodland #Nature #UKnature #Autumn #Fall #Fungi #Macro
A close up of some brown, smooth capped mushrooms. One of them has some blueish white tentacles growing out of its top in a cluster. The tentacles are another fungus; a parasite that target this particular family of mushrooms.
October 24, 2025 at 8:04 AM
thepipkins.bsky.social
I’m fairly sure that a fairy lives in this mushroom. You can see that she has cut a door in the fungi so that her wings don’t get squished! 🧚😁
#Woodland #Autumn #Fall #Fairies #Fungi #Mushrooms #Photography #Landscape
A woodland scene in autumn. A small brown mushroom with a frilled edge sits on an old, blackened tree branch, surrounded by green moss and red, brown and gold autumnal leaves. The mushroom has a split in it’s small conical cap, like an opening into a secret world; perhaps a woodland fairy lives here…
October 23, 2025 at 4:49 PM
thepipkins.bsky.social
It’s that time of year… 🍄🍄‍🟫😀

Don’t ask me what they’re called, I’m terrible with fungi. I have a book for ID, but that leaves me even more confused! 🤣

#Fungi #Mushrooms #Autumn #Fall #UKnature #Photography
A cluster of small mushrooms sit in the moss covered hollow of a fallen branch. The bright green of the moss contrasts with the black of the hollow behind, with a hint of autumn leaves and more fungi hidden in the dark.
October 21, 2025 at 8:16 PM
thepipkins.bsky.social
Does anyone else think we’re being treated to a spectacular autumn this year? 🍁🍂🍄
Droitwich canal, UK.
#UKcanals #Landscape #Nature #Autumn #Fall
An aerial photo from approximately 400feet in the air, looking down on a canal, which cuts across the entire picture. The canal is surrounded by trees in a multitude of autumn colours, with lots of shades of green, yellow and browns.
October 20, 2025 at 6:52 PM
thepipkins.bsky.social
‘Autumn in bloom’ Some fantastic colours coming out this year 🍁
#UKnature #Autumn #Fall #ParkLife
A photo of a town park in bright autumnal colours. The trees are a multitude of reds, greens, yellows and every variation in between. Two dog walkers can be seen on a pathway in the distance. One walker’s two dogs seem very keen to meet the other, pulling at their leads. The single dog looks less eager, standing as far away, behind their owner as possible!
October 14, 2025 at 7:31 AM
thepipkins.bsky.social
It was a lovely morning for a park walk today 🍂🍁 I hope you all have a great weekend when it arrives.

Here’s your free, Heart of Oak, seasonal desktop wallpaper 😁

#Nature #UKnature #Autumn #Fall #Acorns #ParkLife
A single, dark brown acorn hangs between some autumnal oak leaves. The leaves are mostly bright green with spots of seasonal yellow and browns starting to appear. The acorn looks like it is about to fall and burst open, perhaps beginning the circle of life once more.
October 10, 2025 at 11:33 AM
thepipkins.bsky.social
'The Heart of the Forest'
It's a #MeatyMushroomMonday with this beefsteak fungus on an old tree stump.

It's a bit of a marmite fungus; many either think cool or eeew! 😆

#Fungi #Photography #Nature #UKnature #Woodland #Forest #Autumn #Fall
A red beefsteak fungus sits in the centre of an old decaying tree stump, surrounded by green moss and brown, autumn leaf litter. The beefsteak is a range of reds from deep, dark red to vivid crimson. It shows signs of being nibbled by wildlife and is perfectly edible for humans.
October 6, 2025 at 8:19 AM
thepipkins.bsky.social
Are young Sulphur Tufts the cutest mushrooms ever? 😄

Although, can something be poisonous and cute? 🤷‍♂️

#Fungi #Autumn #Fall #Photography #Nature #UKnature #Mushrooms
A small group sulphur tuft mushrooms are tucked into the crevasses of a dead branch. The fungi have orangey caps with a veil of fluffy 'tuft' over them; one has been nibbled by wildlife and you can see the inner yellow flesh that gives these mushrooms their name. The blackened, decaying branch sits under a flush of green heather leaves as the signs of autumn march towards winter.
October 5, 2025 at 8:09 AM
thepipkins.bsky.social
'Feathers & Fungi' I haven't tracked down the significance of the feathers yet, so if you know, please share 🙏
#FungiFriday #Autumn #Fall #Woodland #Feathers #Fungi #AwesomePhotography #Nature #UKNature
A section of a dead tree trunk with a large 'Chicken of the woods' bracket fungus growing near the bottom, with its yellowy, frilled layers. Above the fungus is a section with no remaining tree bark and someone had stuck many bird feather into the cracks and crevices of the old tree. In the background are some green trees, with hints of them turning yellow as autumn approaches.
October 3, 2025 at 8:43 AM
thepipkins.bsky.social
The weekend is nigh! Here's a snap of our neighbour's new puppy to get you there 😍
#NarrowboatDogs #Puppy #Pets #PetPhotography
A young puppy rests in the green grass (but only for a second!). He is black and white with a soft fluffy coat and large floppy ears. The relative calm of his posture hides the boundless energy he normally shows.
September 19, 2025 at 8:04 AM
thepipkins.bsky.social
The full Blood Moon was scuppered by clouds and treetops, so this will have to do 🙃

There’s another one next August, so plenty of time to practice!

#BloodMoon #Lunar #Eclipse #Astro #Photography #Landscape #UKcanals #Narrowboats
A partially eclipsed moon during a full lunar eclipse. The moon is rising over a marina of narrowboats in the foreground and slowly emerging from some low cloud cover. It is not long after sunset so there is still some colour in the boats and the trees around them.
September 7, 2025 at 8:31 PM
thepipkins.bsky.social
Spider Alert! Scroll past now if you need to 🫣
#Wildlife #Nature #Photography #UkWildlife #CircleOfLife
Close up photo of a spider catching a bee in its web. The poor bee is already wrapped in a thin layer of web and the spider is approaching along a single strand of its web to carry the bee off for lunch! #CircleOfLife
August 30, 2025 at 2:01 PM
thepipkins.bsky.social
Happy Monday everyone; another week to enjoy 😃
Perhaps not for the small mammal this heron is stalking though! 🤣
#Birds #UKbirds #Wildlife #UKwildlife #Nature #Photography
A grey heron in a field of dry, yellowing summer grass. The breeze is ruffling its head feathers and one leg is lifted in anticipation of its next, careful step. There is a look of concentration in their eyes, possibly searching for a small mammal for lunch!
August 18, 2025 at 7:09 AM
thepipkins.bsky.social
Caption competition! Tell me what this grey heron is saying. No politics, abuse, swearing or offensive comments please 🙏
#Birds #UKbirds #Wildlife #UKwildlife #Nature #Photography
A grey heron stands in a field of dried grasses, its mouth wide open as though shouting at someone of something. What might it be saying? ….
August 8, 2025 at 5:00 PM
thepipkins.bsky.social
Five years ago yesterday, we launched narrowboat unnamed! Five years later after almost 2000 miles, as many locks and only one breakdown, one of us is a ‘real boater’ (splash!) and NB Heart of Oak is still keeping us safe and warm, often in the middle of nowhere 😁
#UKcanals #Narrowboats
July 28, 2025 at 3:50 PM
thepipkins.bsky.social
🎶Sweet dreams are made of green 🎶
CRT have put a lot of effort into clearing the Stourport duckweed, but I like the look of green canals; it brings some colour to an otherwise grey July 😁

I know it can be bad for other aquatic plant life, but imagine how big the ducks will be next year!
#UKcanals
A picture of the canal basin at Stourport, UK. The water is a vicious green, covered by large patches of duckweed. You can see an old wharf building, now a chandlers, in the foreground and some moored boats in the background. The summer sky is cloudy with patches of blue.
July 27, 2025 at 4:30 PM
thepipkins.bsky.social
Whichever way you look at it, this world can be a crazy place! Hopefully not for these fluffies though 😁
#UKcanals #Birds #Swans #Cyngets #Wildlife #Nature
Six fluffy, grey mute swan cygnets on the Shropshire Union canal. Some have their heads tucked in sleeping and the one in the centre has its head at a quizzical angle as if to ask what I’m doing with that camera!
July 26, 2025 at 3:54 PM
thepipkins.bsky.social
For those not aware, there has been a high incidence of fallen trees along the canals this year, including one that fell onto a moving narrowboat! Here’s one we got stuck behind for 24Hrs a couple of weeks ago. Hats off to Canal & River Trust and contractors who made it passable in those 24Hrs 👍
July 24, 2025 at 1:01 PM
thepipkins.bsky.social
We’ve discovered some “pure green” 😁
Not sure I’d moor so close to so many large trees in the current climate though 🤔
Staffs & Worcs canal.
#UKcanals #Narrowboats #Landscape #Nature
A canal runs through an avenue of green trees in full, vibrant summer colours. A grass towpath runs alongside the canal and a single narrowboat is moored towards the far end of the picture. The canal water is dotted with patches of green duckweed and reflecting the many trees.
July 24, 2025 at 11:25 AM
thepipkins.bsky.social
Thank you for all the likes and well wishes for Mrs P, we love you all. We also have 2 new cruising songs: Everybody Hurts (R.E.M) and Going Under (Evanescence) 🤣
@nbheartofoak.bsky.social
#UKcanals #Narrowboats
Three yellow, fluffy goslings on the canal, one is looking straight at the camera with the cutest face you can imagine.
July 22, 2025 at 4:46 PM
thepipkins.bsky.social
After a day of drama where Mrs P slipped at a lock landing, chipping a tooth and falling into the canal (but never letting go of the windlass!), we moored up in sunny Worcestershire for a well earned G&T; maybe even a G&G!!
#UKcanals #Narrowboats #Landscape #Photography
Narrowboat Heart of Oak, moored up with another narrowboat behind on a summer's evening in Worcestershire. The sky is blue and the trees are vivid green. The canal is still and calm, reflecting the trees.
July 21, 2025 at 6:52 PM
thepipkins.bsky.social
Heron on a somewhat green Staffs & Worcs canal!
#UKcanals #UKwildlife #Wildlife #Nature
A grey heron jumping into a canal, just as its feet break the water. The canal is green with duckweed on the surface and you wonder if the heron can even see the fish below that it no doubt wants for lunch 😁
July 20, 2025 at 1:48 PM
thepipkins.bsky.social
Macclesfield?
📷: @nbheartofoak.bsky.social
July 6, 2025 at 4:31 PM
thepipkins.bsky.social
Colwich lock on the Trent & Mersey canal. The adjacent cottage has a lovely garden 🪴
#UKcanals #Narrowboats #Landscape #Photography
A view of the canal looking towards the bottom gates of a narrow lock. A narrow boat is getting ready to enter the lock, under the brick bridge that covers the entrance. The summer sun is shining and the trees and foliage are in full bloom. A white cottage sits next to the lock.
July 6, 2025 at 7:15 AM