May 18th – At Clayhanger on the canal, in a much more temperate commute than my journey to work, I stopped to watch the overflow, which was overtopping well. The canal seems to have been low for a week or two, and is now back to full. I always love to see how clear the water is, such a change from the polluted soup it was when I was a kid.

So full of life and such a valuable green highway these days.

May 18th – Ah, so commence the annual cygnet search. On the way to work in heavy rain and also on the way back, I looked over to the nest of the Pleck swans, and noted they weren’t on the nest. I couldn’t spot them between there and Darlaston either, so they’re probably roaming for food now. I’m concerned about them since the heron incident, but I’m sure they will be OK somewhere. Just a question of when I’ll spot them.

In the mean time, I had to content myself with the goslings that seem so numerous this year.

I love spring.

May 17th – Only a short ride today, as my stomach was bad and I was busy with other stuff.

On the canal at Newtown, a familiar scum is developing, and I always get concerned mail from readers about it, who are justifiably concerned that the canal has been polluted by some foreign substance.

Well, it has and it hasn’t: but it’s nothing to worry about. The white film is the pollen and detritus from Sallow trees (Goat Willow) which bloom at this time of year and shed white fluff to the four winds – and it gathers on the canal surface, looking like some terrible contaminant.

It’s really a natural, organic thing and nothing to worry about.

May 16th – Everybody go home, I’ve found the king of the polypores.

This is wonderful. A felled tree by the roadside near Cat Holme, and upon it a whole host of bracket fungi. The main clump must be 30 inches wide, and 12 inches thick. It’s the largest and healthiest looking polypore bracket colony I’ve ever seen – fresh and perfect.

I was unaware they even grew at this time of year. You learn something new every day.

May 16th – Second day running with a decent ride, although the weather was quite heavy going on the way back with a nasty headwind. The sun was out though, and I made a good average speed. 

I headed to Coton in the Elms via Lichfield, Whitemoor Haye and Catton, and returned via Lullington, Edingale, Harlaston, Weefor and Shenstone. Everywhere was green and springlike, and the countryside as beautiful as ever.

Try as I might, I still can’t get over the sight of horses in fly masks. I know they can see though them, and that otherwise, flies drive horses mad; but they do so look like wannabe equine superheroes.

A fine ride.

May 15th – I was pleased to note while in Birmingham that a piece of public art I thought had been lost from St. Chad’s Circus subway was still extant, and had been moved. The mosaic or whatever it is – it’s more like a veneer than anything, but it’s not wood – is of trains and transport and commemorates Snow Hill Station, which was closed (I think) at the time it was created. 

The work used to be on the subway wall in one of the most horrid underpasses in the city centre. When the subterranean horror was infilled, I assumed the work had been lost, and forgot about it. 

I noticed the work fronting the planters outside One, Snow Hill. I’m glad it was saved, it’s a little bit of the Birmingham I remember.

Just like the horrid pub in the subway, The Brown Derby. That was a shocker.

One artwork is still missing, though, and used to stand on the grass above street level on St. Chads; it was a metal, full size child’s swing, captured and welded in multiple stages of movement as if caught in stop motion photography. It was brilliant. Anyone know what happened to that?

May 15th – Into Birmingham on an afternoon off, and I headed from home down through Sutton Park and the Plants Brook Valley. Hitting the canal at Tyburn, I was struck by the huge number of Canada Gees families with newly hatched young. So cute, it’s hard to imagine these gold and grey balls of fluff turn into the hectoring, hissing adults they do.

They are such excellent birds.

May 14th – Bittersweet. Also in the rain, the Brownhills Watermead swan family, I first took pictures of at the weekend – doing well, but down from seven cygnets to six. One will have been snatched by a predator, or may have been weak and died; but the rest look fine and are already growing. Out with mum and dad who were keeping a watchful eye, they were a lovely family. 

Such joy and sadness in nature.

May 14th – On Clayhanger Common, in very poor light and heavy rain, a group of six red deer – a stag and six hinds. In fine fettle, still moulting out, they walked towards me cautiously until spooked by a dog (which I cursed royally).

I am seeing the deer three or four times a week at the moment. I’ve never seen so many here. It’s astounding that such beasts live here in such apparent peace. I love them to bits.