October 20th – There’s some really great fungi growing at the moment on Chasewater Dam, where the trees were removed. I have no idea what they are, and initially, they looked like piles of horse manure. It was only when I got closer I realised what they were. it has just stopped raining, and they glistened wonderfully.
Still can’t find any decent fly agaric this year.
September 28th – Conservationists and birders in particular keep banging on about helium balloons, balloon releases and Chinese lanterns. These are serious issues, and here’s why. At Chasewater, balloons have escaped from somewhere, and been blown into this scrub at the side of the lake, well out of reach. They will gradually deflate, and the remaining material will either be blown off and drop in the lake, or hang there waiting to be collected by birds. Birds will choke on balloon remnants, as will fish. Being synthetic, they won’t biodegrade, and will continue to foul the ecology for years if uncollected. I see lots trapped in this way in country hedgerows and on urban commons and greenspaces.
Balloon releases are sponsored littering. Nothing more, nothing less.
September 21st – For the second time in a week, I’m on the phone camera, as although I this time remembered to bring out my camera, it turned out I’d left it switched on and it’s battery was as flat as a pancake. This was sad, as the afternoon was again great. The freshly ploughed and harrowed soil at Home Farm smelled great, and made an interesting contrast with the other fields nearby. I see my favourite tree is starting to turn, too. The little beach, at the north end of Chasewater Dam was deserted for the first time in weeks. If yesterday felt like spring, these where the ochres and attitudes of autumn. There’s no escape.
September 17th – A spin around Chasewater in the rain. The park was pretty deserted just after lunch. I span round, the drizzle persistent but relatively warm. The cows on the north heath were trying to find shelter in the woods, and looked thoroughly cheesed off. Meanwhile, further down the heath to the north shore, workers were cutting the scrub and burning the waste, resulting in the lake being covered in a low layer of sweet-smelling smoke.
As I returned down the causeway, I noticed the crews of kids in rowing boats, out from the Outdoor Education Centre.
Life doesn’t stop at Chasewater when the summer goes; it just gets a bit more challenging.
September 14th – The big sky. I went out mid afternoon, in a fruitless search for a sandwich. All the Chasewater cafes have stopped serving butties after 2pm, which was sad, but I enjoyed a blast around a windy Chasewater none the less. All the time, I felt under ever-present threat from a sky that was clearly enjoying the drama. Thankfully, the rain held off. The wind, however, was something atrocious. Autumn is here to stay now…
August 31st – Chasewater Railway is a hidden gem, enjoyed by folk who know Chasewater, but it isn’t widely known outside the area. Running on a short, preserved section of the Norton Line, it goes from the south shore of Chasewater at Brownhills West to Chasetown, near the rugby club. Not a huge distance, but a great ride with lots of interesting trains and rolling stock, all preserved and run by keen amateurs. Today, I raced this fine red locomotive along the causeway. It looked splendid, and was smoking well.
A fine thing indeed.
August 18th – Chasewater is great at the moment. I passed through in the early afternoon, on a warm but windy Sunday; the lake was busy, and people were out, taking the air, cycling, walking dogs, playing football or frisby with their kids. So nice to see it busy and beautiful again.
I see the herd of cattle has expanded – as well as the lads munching away on the north heath, we now have a bovine maintenance crew on the spillway heath, between the Nine-Foot, Anglesey Basin and the Toll Road boundary. Like cows do, they were exploring the field boundaries and watching passers by nosily. They’re a great asset to Chasewater and it’s good to see them.
Meanwhile, on the embankment track between Jeffrey’s Swag and Slurry Pool, someone has been measuring. That’s a surveyor’s datum block (the stud is the datum) and presumably that’s some kind of measurement bore. Wonder what they’re looking at?
August 15th – It’s amazing how much Chasewater has recovered in such a short time – in 18 months it’s gone from being barely more than an overgrown puddle to a full reservoir, with a recovering, rich biodiversity. I noticed a week or so ago what I thought was red algae on the western shoreline, but it actually turns out, on closer inspection, to be what I think is persicaria amphibia, or water knotweed. I think this is an introduced species, and may well be invasive, I’m not sure. However, it’s very pretty with delicate pink flowers that float in beautiful clumps.
Any knowledge or correction welcome.
August 11th – I’d planned a long ride, but my energy levels – and a grim, persistent wind – didn’t allow it. My speeds were poor, and there were too may distractions, like the deer I spotted along the way. I spotted the first group – 6 or so red deer, including some impressive stags – on Cuckoo Bank, just off the Cannock Road north of Chasewater. They showed well, until something spooked them and they disappeared back into the thicket.
Further on, at Penkridge Bank on Cannock Chase, a few skittish hinds were loafing in the bracken. I had thought the red colouring meant the one was juvenile, but this is not apparently the case, and it’s just a different marking.
It’s always good to see the deer, even on a ride when the wind never really gets behind you.
August 3rd – I’d been poring over maps most of the day and was tired and bleary when I headed out early evening. I cycled along the canal, and it looked like I was just too late to catch the best of what looked a beautiful sunset. I guess that part of the season is approaching again.
It was still nice though, over Home Farm, where the clouds caught the reflected light from the west; Chasewater’s sunsets are now a bit more tricky due to the wake lines and towers.
Sadly, I blew a puncture on the way back, and without a spare, I walked home dejected and annoyed. Never leave home without your tool kit…
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