Tag: commute

#365daysofbiking Beaming!

September 3rd – Hornbeam trees are fascinating. Often mistaken (particularly by me) for beech, the leaves are perfectly ridged and beautiful, but the seeds, in long drop chains a bit like sycamore, are fascinating.

They’re ripening now and will soon be dappling the cycleways, pavements and industrial estate backways with golden brown mast.

Autumn’s colours may be more muted, but they’re still gorgeous.

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#365daysofbiking Oh, balls!


September 3rd – Good to see the fungus starting to kick off for the autumn, I adore the mycology.

These earth balls have appeared on Clayhanger Common, and although not prime specimens, they’re the start of a season of wonders of the fungi world that’ll fascinate me for weeks if not months.

These will grow, then ripen until ready, whence they’ll burst upon contact with some passing animal, spreading their spores for another season – and the cycle will continue.

One great thing about the autumn for sure.

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#365daysofbiking Sugar me

September 2nd – Another product of wayside roses that’s beautiful but dare I say it, a little more mundane: The sugar-laden rosehips.

Rosehips are loved by jam, syrup and wine makers and, of course, many birds who devour the energy laden confections to fatten up for winter – and thankfully there seems to be a good crop this year.

They are beautiful colours, too…

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#365daysofbiking Interdependence


September 2nd – The Darlaston Robins Pincushion Galls are looking really amazing right now – the one on the main ‘trunk’ (stalk? Branch?) of the wild rose is the largest I’ve ever seen, and still growing – now the size of a tennis ball, but elongated. On the outer leaves, the one that clearly misfired across multiple leaf nodes is causing odd, isolated patches of gall growth on leaves and twigs that look almost tumourous in nature.

This is an absolutely fascinating thing and I make no apologies for regularly featuring it. This is part of the wasp gall’s lifecycle and it’s absolutely stunning that such a tiny insect should co-opt and corrupt the growth of a plant to create such a host for its larva.

Amazing stuff.

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#365daysofbiking Changing places

August 30th – I headed into Brownhills to pick up a takeaway on the way home.

Riding up Pier Street from the canal, I realised how changed this area was. With the new housing on the former market site, this now feels way less desolate at night and actually looks quite warm and cosy.

The design of these homes is pleasant and care was clearly taken with line and materials to extend the line of the street.

I like this very much – and more people living in the centre of town can only be good for the place.

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#365daysofbiking The lateness of the hour

August 30th – Yet another late night. Catshill junction provided another good opportunity to find out how to get the best out of the Canon G5X mark II.

I’m beginning to like it but still not confident that what I capture is what I want.

I loved the effect of the garden lights and LED street lighting. That really has made urban night photography a different game.

In this late hour it’s hard to explain just how dark these scenes actually were.

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#365daysofbiking Winter haunts

August 29th – Working late this week, not getting time out to myself, but it does allow me to try a new camera on some old favourites.

I’m working with a Canon G5X mark II at the moment, which is astonishingly good in daylight. I’m having trouble mastering it in low light though, so what better place to try it than my old haunt and winter muse of Clayhanger Bridge at night?

Not too bad but need more practice. I’ll surely get plenty of that in the oncoming months…

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#365daysofbiking Rainy days and…

August 28th – A grim day at work when nothing worked, and a wet journey home.

Today was not a good day. But the weather and rain were warm, and the wind favourable.

Squelching on the Canal up to the High Street it felt very much like autumn. Although I always dread the season, I always give in and adore it in the end.

But the thought of the dark nights does so get me down.

Still, it’s not been a bad summer.

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#365daysofbiking Slider rule

August 27th – Oh gosh, a local celebrity. On the half-shell.

This yellow belly slider turtle has been living in the canal for years – I’ve seen a few of them in my time; there was one at Chasewater for years and several on the Black Country canals.

They are all discarded pets that are now illegal; they are normally southern US residents but survive fine in our climate, but won’t breed.

I’ve had fleeting glimpses of this one before near Clayhanger, but today, I caught it enjoying the sun at the edge of the canal.

It’s large, healthy, and apparently content. And boy, can it move fast: One whiff of danger and it retreated back to the water at top speed.

A fascinating curiosity.

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#365daysofbiking Arc of a diver

August 27th – The local cygnets are doing well, and are now the size of their parents.

I’m fascinated how they have their own personalities. This one is always dawdling being it’s family group, diving enthusiastically for green treats at the bottom of the canal.

So enthusiastic, it’s often wearing a wreath of reeds around it’s neck.

Ah well, no time for finesse when it comes to the grub…

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