Tag: Catshill Junction

July 2nd – I cycled home in steady, warm rain – but the temperature had dropped like a stone. Coming out of work where the temperature indoors was still 35 degrees, stepping into the cold, fresh air was like entering a plunge pool.

The air smelled fresh though, and although the traffic was mad the ride was fast and fun. Hopping on to the canal at the Black Cock and over to Ogley Junction, a light mist was rising off the canal surface, indicating a surface-air inversion was on. Just as I got to Catshill, the rain ceased, and the sun started to come out.

Although it was dull, the greens – now entering the mature, darker stage – looked magnificent. But the panorama from Catshill Bridge: they seem to be taking forever to complete those flats. 

March 25th – As it happened, I never got to a place where the sunset was that good today, which was probably just as well as I was reduced to the phone camera with the main one flat. As I rode down the canal to central Brownhills, I saw a large dog fox run up the bank onto Clayhanger Common. Grabbing the phone, I crested the bank looking for a fox picture to go with yesterday’s heron.

Sadly, he disappeared into the thicket. 

The sky wasn’t too bad though, so I took a quick picture, and headed home.

March 18th – Gone 6:30pm, and still not dark. I stopped on Catshill Junction Bridge, and took a throwaway shot of the Humphries House flats, looking ghostly in the half-light. 

The more I use it, the happier I am with this camera. There’s clearly a lot more fiddling to be had yet, and I must sit down and read the manual. But for a point and shoot operated by a monkey, it doesn’t do bad.

January 8th – Even at the other end of the day, on a dark canal bridge in Brownhills, heading to Tesco to get the weekly shop in, life felt better. The ghostly white they painted most of Humphries House has never really done much for me, but it does look impressive at night.

I’ve reflected today – what’s improved my mood is actually going back to work. That’s also very unusual; but so much didn’t go to plan over the New Year period that I was getting really quite despondent. That’s unusual, but now I’m back in the routine, it all suddenly seems a million miles away.

Life’s odd like that, sometimes.

December 31st – I’m concerned about the fate of the sculpture at Catshill Junction in Brownhills. Since the new housing development started, due to lack of access, it has become increasingly overgrown. I’m worried it might be lost completely, and fear that Walsall Housing Group have made no provision for it in the plans for the new build.

On the subject of which, it’s very early days yet but I’m finding the building flat and characterless at the moment. Any new homes here are good; the land has been dormant and unused for a decade – but I do hope this currently somewhat bland construction develops some character as it’s topped out…

November 22nd – Despite occasional heavy showers, it was a lovely day. Not cold at all, and blessed with a gorgeous golden hour with a clear sky. I headed back to Brownhills via the canal, and the wonderful light set everything aflame.

There are loads of what I think might be imperial caps growing where the embankment has been recently mown at Clayhanger. Damned opportunist fungi…

 A fine time to be out, despite an unpromising, damp start. Those autumn colours were wonderful.

November 8th – The family bonds between the members of the various swan broods hatched this summer seem to be breaking, slowly. I see more and more cygnets out on their own now, or small groups.

This is clearly good, and natural, but it does make me a little sad that I’ll not see anymore neat lines of swans proceeding about the local canals until we get more families next year.

This pair – I don’t think they’re from the Catshill brood, as they were unringed – were loafing and preening at Catshill junction and didn’t seem to mind my presence too much, just occasionally growling and hissing at me.

They really are fine, healthy birds. I’m fascinated in the attention they pay to their undercarriage: the positions they get into while maintaining their feathers are incredible.

November 6th – I returned home in light but penetrating drizzle in early evening, and again, hopped the canal for a bit of light relief. Canal cycling at night requires good lights and can be mentally demanding, but I do enjoy it, as much for the chance to spot a fox or two as anything.

At Catshill Junction I thought I’d give the camera a go on the tripod. I’ve not done much night photography with this one yet, and and I’m quite pleased with the results, even though rain was getting on the lens.

Those LED streetlights in Chandlers Keep give a wonderfully ghostly white light.

August 22nd – The sun came out, and whilst riding over Anchor Bridge I’d noticed the swan family were headed off up the canal at a determined pace. I snatched a frankly awful picture, then went on my way. My mission in Brownhills aborted, I doubled back to get some better pictures, and quickly found the swans in a morass of at least 200 Canada Geese on the canal between Catshill Junction and Silver Street. 

The swans are in fine fettle – I had been concerned last week after not seeing them awhile, and there had been a surplus of white feathers on the water near the bridge, but it turned out volunteers had been ringing them. According to reports, they spent a couple of days sulking in Aldridge, then came back.

Quite what’s attracting the numbers of geese here, I have no idea. I note there’s some outrage about Sandwell having undertaken a cull recently, but with few predators, goose numbers are skyrocketing, which increases pressure on food supplies. It’s a tricky question I guess.

After all, one does get so attached to these birds…

May 16th – I’m out in the elements all year round, and from the darkening in Autumn, the loss of leaves and closing in, I long for the days when everything is lush and green again. The jacket summer lends improves just about any spot – for me, it’s not just the warm air, the sun on my face or the birdsong – it’s the emerald greens of a summer in full flush, of the flowering and blossom, and of the maturing and fruiting.

For the last 5 months, this view hasn’t been worth a light, really. But today, on the cusp of another season, the sounds, sights and scents make this a lovely spot.

This has to be my favourite time of year.