Tag: birds

August 21st – Having had sugar, I felt much better and headed out for Sunday cake. Dropping onto the canal behind Middleton Hall via the old quarry site, I was held at bay by this bombastic cockerel and his friend who clucked, squawked and generally made me feel very unwelcome indeed.

I swear if you could ever cross a chicken and a goose you’d bring about a creature so mindlessly, relentlessly and fearlessly violent that it would result in the end of the world.

They don’t mess about, chooks, when angry.

August 13th – I went up to Freda’s Grave via Chase Road, and noticed that near the shale parking area, someone had been feeding the birds on an old tree stump. Sat with the camera, me and a companion took loads of pictures as a variety of songbirds swooped in and out.

Photographing these busy little birds is actually hard – they’re so fast, it’s hard to focus and get a decent picture and better reactions than mine are clearly required.

A more willing subject was found at the the deserted picnic area near Birches Valley, where Mrs. Squirrel was hoovering up the day’s dropped morsels and helpfully giving some good camera face.

Not a bad entry for the seven days of wildlife challenge…

August 9th – Reader Susan Forster has challenged me to take a photo of wildlife every day for seven days.

The opportunities for animals are limited, obviously, but I’ll give it a go and start with the humble urban sparrow, one of my favourite birds. Sociable, gregarious and actually quite lovely if you look closely, these overlooked birds are a large part of our landscape, yet barely acknowledged as they’re so common.

This group were fussing around the steps of Bentley Bridge, preening, pecking for bugs and generally hanging out.

July 24th – Finally getting out on a ride late afternoon, I found myself on the canal near Tamworth. Here, I met a family of swans, with four cygnets. These were clearly rural birds, much more aloof than their urban counterparts; mum was very protective, and rather than hector me for food, they all grazed happily on the waterside greens.

It was a happy, healthy family and like the mallards yesterday, a very good thing to see.

July 19th – Oh, hi pals. Where have you been? Not seen you for a while.

Near Bentley Bridge, just near the nest where they hatched their single cygnet, the swan family were moving purposefully towards Darlastoin.

Their single offspring – very attentively looked after – is growing large, and doing well by the looks of things. 

They stopped briefly to see if I had food, then scooted on, little one in the classic ‘resting foot’ position, leathery limb tucked high on the back for rest.

A lovely sight.

July 9th – On the canal near Ogley Junction, one of my favourite mad fishermen was stalking the bank, looking as eccentric and slightly dishevelled as ever.

I adore herons. This one seems unusually dark in colour, and was very bold, not moving on until I got very close. Is it possible a juvenile?

Wonderful birds, but probably not if you keep a fishpond…

April 20th – I was rolling down a back street in Birchills, Walsall when I spotted this fellow in the road. Outwardly in rude health, but clearly dazed, I think he’d had glancing contact with a vehicle and was stunned. I took his photo – chaffinches a re glorious, beautiful wee birds – then gently picked him up, checked him over and popped him in a nearby hedge to hopefully recover.

Wonderful to get so close to such a beautiful bird, but sad the circumstances in which it occurred. Hope he was OK. I think I probably saved him from being squished if nothing else.

April 3rd – The curious textures and contour-following lines of a ploughed and planted potato field seen today near Shenstone. The almost Moire-like visual disturbance this causes is fascinating, and really shows the undulations in any landscape.

Particularly impressive was the single cock pheasant clearly feeling a bit superior in the centre. Not the brightest birds but certainly very beautiful.

March 24th – I keep seeing this fellow about the canal recently. I’m assuming it’s the same bird – I’ve seen him up by Newtown in Brownhills, and today by Clayhanger Bridge at the rear of the Maybrook Industrial Estate. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crested grebe on the canal before. 

I suppose there’s no reason why not, but I do wonder why these delightful birds – common at Chasewater – are not seen on the canals much if at all.

A mystery.

March 20th – At a cafe near Cannock Chase, an outdoor eating area monitored by small birds, just looking out for left scraps or dropped crumbs.

These are bold birds, familiar with humans, and just a bit more tolerant than their far more skittish rural counterparts, but they make terrific photographs.

I’d like to claim responsibility for the photos, but they were taken by my companion and were too good not to use. But we were on the same ride, so that’s what counts.

A joy to the heart.