April 16th – Heading up the canal toward Newtown, on the bend just past the old mill, a relaxing couple on a sunny afternoon. I’ve not seen the swans do this on the canal bank here before, and this one has me a little puzzled, but they were utterly relaxed and convinced the spot was just right for them.
A lovely sight, but I know the one that was ostensibly asleep was totally aware of my presence.
April 13th – An odd thing on the local canals – lots of reed debris all of a sudden. Not sure if this is natural detritus as part of spring, or the result on thinning redheads for boats.
Anyone know? Lots of it around Brownhills, Catshilll Junction and Clayhanger.
April 11th – After being closed during roadworks since last summer, it’s good to see the steps from the canal up to Bentley Road in Darlaston back open. With them closed, it meant a trip to Bughole Bridge – not too bad on a bike, but a fair walk to get back to the same place. The steps on Bughole Bridge are also much harder to get a bike up, unlike these, which are so shallow, you can actually ride down them if you’re careful.
Long overdue, but glad to see it.
April 11th – I spotted him near the Bentley Mill Way Aqueduct, perched in a tree. I haven’t seen many herons of late, so it was nice to see this neat, healthy looking specimen looking for a meal. This was very near where the swans are currently nesting and I couldn’t help but wonder if he was hoping to bag a cygnet for lunch.
As is usual with these wonderful birds, I scared him and he flew 30 metres or so down the canal, landing well away from me.
I love these wonderful, eccentric-seeming birds.
April 9th – A short spin from Brownhills to Newtown and back was under the most peculiar spring weather – bright sunshine but with a dark and very threatening sky, To catch it’s glory I came back from Newtown along the canal to Brownhills, and was fascinated by the eastern skies.
This place is beautiful. Never let anyone tell you different. Even when the weather is poor.
April 8th – One sight that is wonderful every year – though often overlooked – is the appearance of the daisies. Common as the grass they grow in, these little blooms of quiet perfection are fascinating when you look closely, and very under appreciated.
I felt sorry for these on the canal bank, so I captured their image to share with everyone.
April 4th – An odd day – heavy showers in the morning interspersed with bright, warm sunny periods, and a nightmare, torrential-rain soaked ride home. At lunchtime on an errand from work into Walsall, I have no idea what the pigeon was thinking, but it seemed happy. Walsall dripped, sparkled and glistened, and the swans at Bentley Bridge didn’t seem bothered.
The homeward trip was fun, but very wet. Flash floods hit the main roads and drains blew their covers. It was warm though, so not too bad.
I guess this are April showers, then…
April 2nd – Elsewhere around Clayhanger and Brownhills on this golden afternoon, momma swan was still giving me the evil eye from her nest on the canalside by the Watermead estate, but she did pause to stand and turn her eggs. The crested grebe still seems happy pottering on the canal near Walsall Wood, and continuing the mad, unsynchronised spring Spanish bluebells are flowering in a hedgerow at Clayhanger Common.
Spring is well underway, it’s warming up at last and everything is starting. Fantastic!
March 31st – Also greening up is the canal through Catshill to Chasewater; the traditional demarkation between urban and rural, this green line of water may be only feet wide but the difference from one side to the other are polar opposites.
But on a mellow, sunny spring evening, with low sun and long shadows, I wouldn’t be anywhere else.
I keep saying it; I shouldn’t have to – be we live in a surprisingly beautiful place. Treasure it.
March 31st – A fast run out late afternoon to test some adjustments, and for the second time in a week my gaze fell upon my favourite tree, the singular horse chestnut at Home Farm, Sandhills. Those who read this journal regularly will know well that I gauge the seasons by this tree. It’s such a classic, perfect conker tree with the iconic outline; I treasure it.
On a brighter day than awful Tuesday, with the spring sun picking out the greening fields and hedgerow, could that be a smattering of green on the tree? I do hope so.
BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking 