October 18th – Another lovely golden hour, this time as I came through Walsall Wood and the Black Cock Bridge. The sun reflected off the golden leaves beautifully and rendered the farmhouse precious.
As the sun receded further, the skies were dramatic over Clayhanger, too.
The sunsets at this time of year are fantastic.
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 15th – Further on, I hopped on the Spot Path back to Pier Street, and autumn is clearly well afoot now; leaves are turning and falling, and there’s that unmistakable nip to the air. It’s also getting dark now only a little past six pm – and in a week or so, the clocks will be going back and it’s the time of darkness once more.
Although autumn is lovely, I hate what it leads to.
October 15th – Terrible photos and video taken hurriedly and in poor light, but something remarkable. I was heading back to Brownhills from an errand in Walsall Wood, and cut through by the new pond at Clayhanger. Dusk was falling and in the gathering gloom, a herd of maybe 12 red deer, split into two groups; three hinds with a stag by the treeline near the pond and the rest of the hinds 20 yards away, browsing the meadow.
I think there was some mating behaviour going on, as the male was standing his ground, and calling constantly. I’ve never seen this in person before, and it was a fascinating, mournful noise he was making (the video clip should be played with the sound up).
I wished I caught it earlier in better light, and made a better fist of the video, but who ever would have thought this ind of thing would be on our doorsteps?
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 8th – I looked hard for inspiration in the grey gloom of late afternoon, and found nothing, and darkness had fallen before I found anything that interested me. Hopping on the canal at Walsall Wood, I headed for Brownhills via Catshill Junction. The stillness of the canal in the dark was as beautiful as it ever was.
When the nights close in, it can be hard to find decent photos for a while as you shift expectations of what makes a decent image. There is no longer the abundance of plants and wildlife in good light, and the sunshine that makes even the plainest view special is far more sparing in it’s attention; but in the night shot there is a whole range from quiet, lonely peace to the bright chaos of a city centre rush hour.
It just takes time to adjust to the darkness again.
October 7th – I’m fascinated by the way the scrub on Clayhanger Common has formed into a tunnel over the footpath behind the overflow at Clayhanger Bridge. This footpath is used enough to be fairly well worn, and the creepers, brambles and scrub have turned the track into a foliage arch which is quite charming and could, for all the world, be a portal to some kind of wonderful netherworld.
October 7th – The Autumn isn’t bad at all, although the cold is starting to creep in now. It was a gorgeous golden hour on the canal as I came home past Clayhanger Bridge.
The trees haven’t yet began to turn but the sun, on days like these, turns the ageing greens golden every evening.
October 4th – I was surprised to note that the warm autumn, which has seen dead-nettles enter a second flowering cycle, odd aberrations of occasional foxgloves still in bloom and dandelions still out in pastures has resulted in some unusual sights, but I was surprised to note this ladybird still quite active on Clayhanger Common.
One thing’s for sure – when the cold sets in, it’ll be a shock to the system…
October 3rd – I had somewhere to call on the way back, and returned in darkness, but I couldn’t resist checking up the little forest of glistening ink caps on the edge of Clayhanger Common.
Grown well, these curious toadstools have peaked now and will soon decay to mush.
I have no idea what triggers these busy, short-lived clumps but they’re fascinating to study.
BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking 