September 16th – But of course, in time autumn brings it’s own colours, and in their way, they can be every bit as vivid as those of summer.
The canalside hedgerows near Walsall Wood are looking particularly attractive right now… so all is not lost.
All the seasons have beauty and positivity. Sometimes you just have to look harder to find it.
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January 31st – While I’ve yet to break my snowdrop duck for the spring (and BrownhillsCommoner sent me a lovely picture of the ones in his garden) there are some spring flowers around, although maybe not conventional blooms.
These catkins are showing well at the moment in Wednesbury, and are a common feature of hedgerows, scrubs and waysides. They are the male flowers of the alder tree, and also occur on the close relative, Birch.
Wind pollinated, these blossoms don’t have normal petals or a flower like structure, but are a lovely, bright feature of late winter and a signpost into spring.
April 6th – Heading out on an errand from work late morning after a windy, wet and decidedly unpleasant commute was like chalk and cheese. Where I’d been relentlessly battered by driving rain and a headwind, it was actually sunny and pleasant as I rode down to Great Bridge.
Near Great Bridge, in a main road hedgerow, leaves are developing well. Hawthorn, beech and birch add a welcome splash of green after the grey winter months.
February 26th – One thing I have noticed this year is that the crazy mild and early spring seems to have really benefited the catkins. They are lush and large this year, which seems good.
Here on the canal at Walsall Wood they’re the largest such crop I’ve ever seen.
September 3rd – I took to the canal on the way home, and observed that red appears to be the colour of choice for the season – a whole host of red berries, from honeysuckle, to ripening blackberries, to haws and hips are all doing well. I did wonder, however, what the very glossy red berries were – the ones with the very leathery leaves. There’s about twice the size of a pea, and look like haws but are too large, glossy and red. Any ideas?
I’m also wondering about the hop-like fruit of the broad leaved tree, centre. Something is telling me white birch, but I’m not sure.
Looks like there will be a good crop of helicopter seeds from the sycamores this year, too.
Any help welcome, thanks!
August 13th – Bracket fungus, in this case Birch Polypore, are a common sight in woodlands and scrub around the common at this time of year. They don’t seem to die as quickly as other fungi and often acquire a sheen of algae and detritus as they age. They regenerate by scattering spores from their undersides as animals and the wind come into contact with them. I think there’s three generations here.
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