August 8th – I saw a single deer, who was too quick to be captured by camera, but in the languid warmth, the rabbits on the canal weren’t too bothered as long as I keep still and didn’t make any noise.
I really liked the wooden carved badger on a canal boat near Wolseley Bridge, though. I guess that classes as wildlife. Of a sort.
July 31st – It’s not lightly or without thought that I feature this, but it is part of rural life that’s becoming increasingly common on urban roads, too.
This is a dead badger, spotted at the side of Green Lane, Walsall Wood yesterday. Adult, large, and in generally good condition, he had been hit by a car. Either carried or finding his way to the hedgerow, he looks like he died peacefully there.
There ain’t a whole lot of road sense in your average badger, and they’re becoming increasingly active in urban areas like Brownhills. Please take care when driving at night, as these creatures often stumble out of hedges and verges.
They are heavy, and solid, and will do damage to cars if hit at speed, but to those on two wheels, they can be deadly.
Watch out for Brock, please.
March 30th – I’m not going to say where this is, for fairly obvious reasons, but there’s only one animal in the UK that digs like that – and this one has been digging a real des-res. Freshly excavated damp sand and quite large stones spilled out onto the roadside, but no sign of the occupant.
Not the best site, Brock. The cars whistle through here…
I wish you well, in any case.
June 15th – Chasewater was deserted as I cruised round in the early evening. I’ve noticed in recent years that the park has a burgeoning rabbit population, and when there’s few folk around, they come out of hiding and take the air. This fellow was on the dam by the Downes house. I hope the engineers are keeping an eye on the rabbits… badgers caused the collapse of a canal in Llangollen a few years ago. Mind you, knowing badgers, they could have used explosives or anything. They’re truculent little buggers…
November 19th – The farm shop at Packington Moor, near Whittington Barracks, is a little on the pricy side for me. With it’s air of loftiness and well-healed customers, it’s not a place I go often; but the produce there is superb – particularly the meat, vegetables and cakes. Pulling my bike up there yesterday and leaning it against the storefront rail amongst the expensive cars, I noticed this ticket on a pumpkin in the pile on display. A reminder that while organic may be pricy and often exclusive, Br’er Brock the Badger doesn’t pay no fancy store bills, and clearly doesn’t care much for the orange gourd, either…
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