Tag: canal

October 23rd – For the final light Sunday evening of 2016, I went up to Packington Moor and up the greenway called Knox’s Grave Lane, across Common Barn, then through the deciduous woodland of Hopwas Hays. It was chilly, but the sun was bright, mellow and warming and autumn was beautiful The leaves are really turning now, and the the recently relaid tracks of the woodland were nice to ride.

The sunset, too, was excellent, although sad that it came little after six, with this the first sunset before 6pm of the autumn. Sadly, with the end of BST, next week it will be before five…

A great ride, with the best of Autumn on show. If you can get to Hopwas in the next week or so, do so. Its beautiful.

October 22nd – I’d been to see an old mate who’s not been so well of late, and came back along the canal past the new pond at Clayhanger, where a large, grumbling flock of Canada geese seem to have lately taken residence.

Oddly, they aren’t aggressive, but aren’t scared of me either, and I have to stop and actively shoo them out of the way, which they’ll com-operate with grudgingly.

They’re puzzling me a bit as all the other local geese are positively sociopathic malcontents, honking and flapping at anything that approaches.

People give these geese a hard time, but they are actually quite fascinating birds.

October 21st – Riding to work along the canal in Walsall in the early morning, I noticed how green parts of the towpath margins still were – the bracken hasn’t yet turned at Bentley Bridge and the dead nettles are full in flower for the second burst this year.

This has been a peculiar autumn, with many things coming into bloom a second time before dying off. The weather really has been kind to us this year, but I can’t help feeling winter is going to be a shock to the system.

October 20th – Spotted from the canal towpath as I zipped past, a forest of toadstools growing on a fallen log in the scrub at the back of Queen Street Cemetery in Walsall. 

I think they might be honey fungus, but I’m not sure. There were hundreds of caps, all growing in clumps, feeding on the decaying wood. Ranging in colour from a dull weigh to a dark burnt umber, they were beautiful and fascinating.

Best crop of toadstools I’ve seen for a while.

October 17th – I made it back to Brownhills in a glorious sunset golden hour, and as I passed the overflow at Clayhanger, I noticed a grey wagtail skitting about. I love these gorgeous, busy, bobbing little birds, and this one was having a ball hunting late bugs.

The skies were beautiful too. A wonderful evening.

October 14th – I finished work early and headed back to Brownhills to make an appointment, and at Walsall Wood, hit the canal. Passing the rear of Lindon Drive on my way to the Pier Street bridge, I noticed this splendid marmalade fellow watching me from the opposite bank.

He didn’t look very pleased to see me, but what a gorgeous colour, and what a fine puss!

October 13th – On the canal bank just above the new pond in Clayhanger, two large, flat stone blocks lay in the grass, as if they’ve just landed randomly. I bet few folk ever notice these, or wonder what they are, but they are the last physical evidence of the industrial past of this peaceful place.

The path that runs from here to the west of Clayhanger follows the line of an old mineral railway, serving Walsall Wood Colliery which used to be just the other side of the canal. The line crossed the cut here via an over bridge, all trace of which has gone.

Except for these capstones, which stood at either end of the bridge parapets. 

A third is in the new pond, placed there as a stepping stone when the pool was created following the removal of the spoil heap that stood here for a few decades after the colliery closed. Like some post-industrial Brigaddon, it emerges in dry summers. 

I’ve never found the missing fourth one, but I bet it’s around, somewhere.

They are all that remains, and how many ever realise the history they belie?

October 12th – I don’t think I’ve ever known a season where the wildflowers bloom for so long. It’s now mid October, and in the urban heart of Walsall on the canal at Pleck, there are beautiful flowers  still.

Still attracting bugs, these are gorgeous and brightened an otherwise dull journey to work.

October 11th – Oh boy. Not more that a few days ago, I was bemoaning the lack of decent fungus this year, and was stunned to find a sing fly agaric toadstool in the usual spot near Chasewater, then this.

I was shotting along the canal through Pleck of all places, and as I rode a red flash on top of the canal cutting embankment caught my eye. Scrambling up there to investigate, I saw found one of the best crops of these cute red and white spotted fungi I’ve ever seen.

Large, profuse and very beautiful, these are in the heart of formerly industrial, urban Walsall, in a place few humans would ever think to go. A really wonderful find.

October 9th – A late afternoon ride up to Cannock Chase, and like the day before, disappointing as fine weather had been promised, which wasn’t forthcoming when I was out and about – it was yet another grey day.

Brightness, however was evident in the first fly agaric toadstool of the season I found on the canal bank near Wharf Lane in Brownhills. This was a perfect young specimen, bright red and round with lots of white spots. As I took photos, I felt myself being watched.

Stripes, observing me curiously from some decking on the opposite bank could see what I was up to – but wasn’t impressed at all.

That’s one lovely cat.