March 26th – Amongst the animal life spotted in Tamworth, two canal cats watching me from the opposite bank. The black one was a sleek, young-seeming and alert garden-panther. The black and white clearly older, more – ahem – generously proportioned – and shall we say a little cuddly.
Both shared the same utter contempt for me.
I adore cats, but often it’s so very much unrequited.
January 17th – I had an appointment at the hospital, and rode through Walsall Town Centre to get a brew beforehand as I was early. Riding up the canal Town Arm towards the hospital, I realised I was being watched.
That little cat’s face. So innocent, yet clearly such a little terror. My heart melted.
August 7th – There were three in total, but ginger scarpered. Judging by their lanky, adolescent appearances, I think they were siblings, and I spotted them as they dashed over the road near Red Hill. They’d clearly been investigating the horses in the field, and been scared, and now there was this guy on a mechanical contraption pointing something at them.
These cats are clearly characters, and living in the quiet backlanes of Longdon, they have acres and acres of woodland, hedgerow, pasture and ditch to explore.
What a life they have before them.
June 14th – Spotted on the way to work in Place, this pair of characters. They seemed friendly enough. They mewed at me softly. I assume they’re siblings, or if not, they’re close pals.
One of the very best things about summer communities on a sunny day is observing the cat population taking the air and enjoying it.
June 27th – Near Catshill Junction, I watched momma coot feeding her chicks – presumably the second set of the year. She was diving, then returning to the surface and feeding the little ones from her beak. It was fascinating.
The chicks still look as Phil Griffin so memorably put it, like ‘badly knitted moorhens’, but they are very cute all the same.
It’s also interesting to be reminded of how strange adult coot feet really are. Curious birds, coots.
June 14th – I was heading out to Newchurch, to check out the elegant spire I saw across the valley on last week’s ride, but this wee cat, on a garden fishing platform caught my eye at Catshill.
Such determination, but it can’t reach the water without falling in…
May 15th – Into Birmingham on an afternoon off, and I headed from home down through Sutton Park and the Plants Brook Valley. Hitting the canal at Tyburn, I was struck by the huge number of Canada Gees families with newly hatched young. So cute, it’s hard to imagine these gold and grey balls of fluff turn into the hectoring, hissing adults they do.
They are such excellent birds.
19th March – On the Walsall Canal at Park Hall, having left work early in the afternoon to head to Birmingham in the decent weather, I come upon a small, kitchen sink drama.
Young cat fancies it’s paw at a little waterfowl: maybe mallard, or even Canada goose. The concentration is huge… the tension… then the cyclist spoils it.
Of course, the birds knew the cat was there. But puss’s ambition was impressive.
January 29th – I love goats, and it seems we have a local herd now. In the field by Jockey Meadows in which I saw Mr. Fox in last week, I’ve been noticing the goats for a couple of weeks, but they’ve never been close enough for a good photo. Today, they were trying to get through the hedge at Green Lane. It seems there are seven adults and four or five kids, with a rather impressive ram.
I have no idea who owns them, and I think they go wandering of their own accord sometimes; but on a grey, cold January morning seeing those little kids frolicking, jumping and having high jinks was a joy to the soul.
September 27th – Spotted as I was passing in Flats Lane, Weeford, a young retriever and his comforter – which appears to be a mop head.
What a charmer. Could have taken him home for those sad, brown eyes alone.
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