June 28th – Feeling better, and a trundle to Brownhills Canalside Festival, where there was a Bird of Prey display by Armitage Bird of Prey Centre. It’s a rare and wonderful chance to get close up photographs of some stunning birds. The range of facial expression Jono the Eagle Owl can make, whilst not really having a mouth is astounding.

I love these birds.

June 27th – I was suffering with both a dodgy stomach and bad hay fever when I set out late afternoon for a gentle spin around the canals in Brownhills. They didn’t disappoint, they were glorious.

At Silver Street, the narrowboats were in for the canal festival taking place next day, and everywhere else was bathed in so sunlight.

I wish I’d felt a bit better, and I’d have been able to ride further, but never mind, there will be other days.

June 26th – Back near Lower Stonnal, a noxious assault of a different kind…

I was riding back down the lanes and I realised there was a strong farmyard smell, which is unusual there. I travelled some way further and discovered I had been downwind of this: it’s a crop sprinkler spraying liquid slurry on the grass to improve it (I assume the pump is elsewhere).

This is a dairy farm, and they’re using one of the cattle’s most copious products to restore the growth to the pasture.

Nicely circular, but very smelly.

June 26 – I’ve not had to go to Telford for ages, and was looking forward to my trip there today to check out the flowers growing on the cycleways, which are always a bit different to the ones I’m used to. They didn’t disappoint.

In the short run from the Station to Hortonwood, I spotted an interesting orchid, cornflowers and this spectacular, but dangerous giant hogweed.

The hogweed, a good two feet taller than me, is a plant containing a sap which burns human skin by neutralising natural UV protection, causing prolonged, and  slow to heal burns – effectively very severe sunburn. It’s very easy to get hurt by it, so I steered well clear (and will notify the council of it’s presence). It’s an imported plant that’s been gaining a strong foothold here.

Beware. It may not be an actual triffid, but it’s pretty nasty.

Telford. Never a dull moment.

25th June – It’s easy to overlook the weeds and commonest wildflowers, but also a crime. I love dandelions, buttercups and daisies – they’re the unsung, everyday background to many beautiful views. After all, what would a gorgeous summer meadow be without them? Yet how often do we really study these most common of flowers?

I love daisies in particular. Delicate, colourful and hard, they are a real success of the British ecosystem, yet few ever give them a second thought.

Here’s to the common, but unseen.

June 25th – People have been asking me why I haven’t featured any pictures of the new leisure centre development at Oak Park yet. There’s a simple answer to that – it’s very, very hard to get good images of.

The site is huge, surrounded by trees and high hoardings, and you can’t get a good angle on it. But it does look like it’ll be nice; looking through the trees today I could see they had been digging the pools out under the steel frame.

It’s also a remarkably well-run site, with flowers planted outside the gate, and even water for passing dogs.

I’m watching it carefully, and as soon as there’s a better photo-op I’ll go for it.

June 24th – And by the canal in Leamore, just near Pratts Mill Bridge, a clump of purple vetch was proving irresistible to the bees, who buzzed around it with an air of frantic, but random purpose.

The vetch, like many other flowers is profuse this year. I hope the bees prosper from it. They need our support…

June 24th – I don’t know who he is, but this proud cat was loafing by the terrace of houses just at the eastern end of Kings Hill Park in Darlaston. The fact that he’s tailless doesn’t seem to be bothering him much. 

A lovely lad. his coat shone – someone loves this puss very much!