May 9th – A big welcome, if you please, to the newest residents of Brownhills, seven swan chicks newly hatched in the last 24 hours or so to the swan couple who have been nesting at the Watermead, just near the Canoe Centre in Brownhills.

The 7 fluffy hatchlings were active, and seemed fit, although I think there may have originally been eight, as I think in some photos there appears to be a lifeless one in the nest. But seven survivors is a good number, and if they can get through the next week or so without being lunch for predators, they’ll be just fine.

Mum and dad were showing their brood off beautifully, and the Canoe people are avoiding them – out of respect for wildlife and also out of pecking distance of the Cob! 

We can expect to lose a few of these fluffy chaps – we lost one of the eight at Catshill last year – as at this stage, they’re vulnerable to mustelids, foxes, rats and even herons – which is just natural.

So if you can, get down and have a look at these delightful birds. Please don’t feed them bread, however, as it’s bad for them. There’s plenty of natural food and they’re foraging well.

May 9th – A ride up to Chasewater, and back to Brownhills along the canal. It was a dull, overcast day that seemed to permanently threaten rain. However, the sheer beauty of the newly green landscape was a joy to the heart. 

At Newtown, a rabbit in the pasture near the mobile home park; the warren by Newtown Bridge seems to have been wiped out by myxie, and only this burrow remains. The bunny looked healthy enough, though.

The sallow is coming into bloom, and the weeping willows over the canal look majestic, as do some of the canalside gardens. 

Even when the sun is elusive, this time of year is beautiful.

May 8th – Coming along the canal past Grange Farm in Walsall Wood (just between Black Cock Bridge and Clayhanger Bridge) I noticed the small group of deer in the coppice belt between the towpath and fields. Sheltering from the rain, they hung around and although skittish, allowed me to take photos.

One of the deer (not pictured) appeared to have a nasty sore on her snout, which was sad. They appeared to be healthy otherwise, though.

May 8th – On the canal at Walsall Wood in steady rain, an interesting group of mallard crossbreed ducks, which I think are fed and loosely tended by a household near the water. I notice there’s mallard in there, of  course, but also white ducks and the one with the grey/blue bill suggests a ruddy duck is somewhere in that one’s genes.

That’s the thing about ducks, they’ll freely interbreed…

May 7th – I notice that on Jockey Meadows, the pasture field that’s genuinely a water meadow is now staffed by a heard of beef cattle again. About 10 or 12 large animals are browsing the scrub in an effort to maintain it – the cows eat the fast growing plants, and give the slow-growers chance. They also spread the fertile love in the form of cowpats.

Every time I passed them this week, the coos have been far over the other side. Only did I notice when I’d zoomed in that a passing heron was doing his bit too.

May 7th – I nipped out on an errand from work at lunchtime, and fate had it that I’d get caught in heavy rain. I saw it gather over Wednesbury, but the relentless wind of late had gone, and it felt warm. Once I was soaked, it wasn’t unpleasant, and it felt like a warm, spring storm.

By the time of my return, the sky had cleared, the sun was out and St Lawrence Church in DArlaston looked beautiful through the greening trees of Victoria Park.

If you don’t like the May weather, just wait a few minutes.

May 6th – I got back to Brownhills at sunset, but couldn’t get anywhere to get a good view of it, sadly; but it did look nice from the canal over Clayhanger Common. 

It was nice to be home; I was worn out. Some days, you don’t know which way up you are by the end of them. Your legs turn the pedals, and your body knows which way to go, but mentally, you’re knackered.

May 6th – A frantic day. From work, to Birmingham for an important appointment, and I was there late. Not much time to eat, or think. I was frazzled, and on edge. But I did have a ‘what the hell?’ moment looking at the new tram tracks being laid from the New Street/Stephenson Place junction. It’s quite a steep hill, and that snaking curve looks… interesting. Not much can’t in the track, either. 

I hazard that’ll lead to some interesting moments with the odd inebriated passenger and also probably cyclists.

I must say, the metro extension project seems to be taking an age to complete.

May 5th – In case you haven’t noticed, there’s an election on. I’ve avoided mentioning it much this time, as there’s little to be said that isn’t being mentioned elsewhere, and the whole thing seems a bit of a crap shoot. 

However, I couldn’t let this pass without comment. In Walsall, there is a voluntary ban on posters on council property at election time, which is being semi-sidestepped by landlords allowing banners to be erected on their properties. Sadly, all the ones I’ve spotted for the Conservatives in Walsall South are on derelict or unused buildings, which really promotes the booming, prosperous image the party must crave. 

The local council candidate in Darlaston South standing for the Tories doesn’t even name his party – surely he can’t be avoiding mentioning it, can he?

This is the oddest election season I’ve ever witnessed. 

May 5th – On a morning commute from hell, against a headwind that wanted me dead, I winched myself through Walsall and onto the canal, as I was scared the wind would blow me into the path of traffic. The only consolation was that coming home had to be better than this. Fortunately, it was.

Welcome serenity came in the form of the swans, still sitting the nest at the disused canal basin in Pleck. With no Catshill pairing this year, I have high hopes for this pair and have been keeping a weather eye on them for a few weeks now.

The male is a bit of a lad, and last week was begging chips off a canalside diner. Today he still patrolled patiently on the canal nearby. He had to content himself with the few grains of corn in my pocket…