Tag: Brownhills

July 14th – S sadly hastily snapped picture, but something I do love to see: a young grey heron, on the canal in Brownhills near Anchor Bridge, contentedly fishing, just caught with a fish in it’s bill.

The bird was about half adults size, and I was lucky to see it. So many about at the moment, but hard to get them actually actively hunting.

A great start to a long ride.

July 8th – Always pleased to see the wild sweet peas growing around the old coal loading chutes at Anglesey Wharf near Chasewater. They are a symbol of change for the better.

As recent as 50 years ago, this was a busy, filthy and polluting coal loading interchange between road, rail and water. Coal was loaded into a continual stream of narrowboats and the sea was treeless and devoid of life.

The coal here stopped in the 1960s, and nature reclaimed – but the coal chutes stayed, a monument to an industrial past.

Now, surrounded by greenery and wildlife, they are an anachronism, but the sweet peas bloom and speak of peaceful, cleaner, better times. A lovely sight.

July 6th – No apparent issues with the thistles this year, however. In fact it seems a good year for them – prickly and purple, they are flowering well and in larger number than I’ve seen for a good few years – so as I suspect, water probably isn’t an issue for them like the berries, hips and haws of the hedgerows above.

The colours – from pale lavender to deep, dark purple – are always a joy. Thisles are very underrated indeed in my opinion.

July 1st – It was a great sunset, which I caught best from Meerash near Hammerwich. 

The sunsets lately really have been excellent.

I’m also a sucker for radio transmitters and sunsets – I find something really enigmatic about them.

A great end to not the best day, but a good evening outing none the less.

June 23rd – I have developed a strong liking for Canon cameras, through the trusty G7X which has been my weapon of choice since Christmas. The G1X is larger, more awkward to use but the things it’s capable of are clear, they question being can I gain the nous to exploit it?

Also on test I have a Sony RX100 mark VI – an altogether different proposition. I’ve always liked Sony’s user interface, but the boxy nature of this small camera feels awkward so far, but not had much chance to play yet. The images seem nice.

Cameras fascinate me, and as a means of showing folk just how beautiful our area is they cannot be beaten. Even at night, Brownhills can be stunning…

June 20th – To my dismay, the agressive and pointlessly regular towpath mowing schedule continues on local canals, to the detriment of wildflowers growing there, like the poor orchids.

In recent years, the canal management have insisted on having the canalside grass mown every month – not only is this unnecessary, it inhibits the growth of some wonderful species and destroys others in their prime.

The mower had been through today, and although the operator was mindful of some orchids, many more were destroyed.

If the grass had been left another month, it would have been to no detriment and huge benefit.

Frustrating and pointless.

June 18th – Now we’re in high summer the flowering phase is fading a little and we’re moving on to hardier, darker flowers and blooms, greens are deepening and the fruiting phase is commencing.

Now is the time of bramble flowers, thistles, knapweed and cornflowers – and the time when the canal looks it’s very best.

June 16th – Always nice to meet a hog going about it’s business and this lovely one was near the Fullelove Memorial Shelter at the foot of Brownhills Parade. 

Healthy and very large, it was far too busy to pass the time of day  and scuffled off into the night and away from my attention.

Uplifting.

June 16th – A lost day with bike repairs when everything went wrong. Slipping out on a test ride as darkness fell, I hit Silver Street and Catshill Junction, and realised I’d forgotten just how much the G7X camera loves the twilight.

A dreadful day, but a bit of a ride in the glorious even cool was just what I needed.