Maybe I watched too many cartoons as a kid but when I saw this I immediately imagined the fungus snapping off and the squirrel running in the air - Wile E Coyote style - before plummeting to an explosive landing. Anyone else? 

Red squirrel on bracket fungus by Andrew Parkinson

What I really wanted to focus on was the fungi itself! These vital members of our forest ecosystems can sometimes be edible, but indiscriminate harvesting might be damaging their future prospects.

Keep an eye out for them in your local habitats and just enjoy them where they are; working hard to clean up after the dead trees and share nutrients with the living ones.

Andrew Parkinson took this picture, and it's definitely improved an otherwise dreary day. Have a perusal at RSPB-Images.com, we're always updating this library so if you've had a look before you might still be surprised.