Tag: duck

May 28th – At Clayhanger, the Mallard family that numbered four on Sunday is down to three; probably picked off by a heron or raptor (or perhaps even a fox), it’s sad to see but natural, I guess. Mum may go on to have another clutch this year, and this is the way of things I guess. But I do hope the missing one didn’t suffer too much.

Meanwhile, just near Clayhanger Bridge, a single Canada goose mum and one gosling. I think there must be a story there too; she looked like she was protecting her fluffy charge with grim determination.

Nature can be so brutal sometimes.

May 5th – In case you haven’t noticed, there’s an election on. I’ve avoided mentioning it much this time, as there’s little to be said that isn’t being mentioned elsewhere, and the whole thing seems a bit of a crap shoot. 

However, I couldn’t let this pass without comment. In Walsall, there is a voluntary ban on posters on council property at election time, which is being semi-sidestepped by landlords allowing banners to be erected on their properties. Sadly, all the ones I’ve spotted for the Conservatives in Walsall South are on derelict or unused buildings, which really promotes the booming, prosperous image the party must crave. 

The local council candidate in Darlaston South standing for the Tories doesn’t even name his party – surely he can’t be avoiding mentioning it, can he?

This is the oddest election season I’ve ever witnessed. 

March 25th – Further up Green Lane, I glanced to my left as I winced and grunted my way over the Black Cock bridge, which was harder work than usual. This solitary house, possibly at the end of what may have been Pepper Alley years ago, continues to fascinate me. Back behind here was once a sewage farm and the municipal mortuary. Today, it’s just fields and scrub.

It wasn’t really near sunset, but it was dark, grey and damp. Like October. 

Tomorrow will be a better day.

July 15th – Ducks are not fussy. Mallards will mate with anything that cooperates, and quite a lot of things that don’t. Unusual union has clearly resulted in this peculiar fellow, who seems to be, for the most part, mallard, but there seems to be runner duck and tufted in there somewhere. He lives on the boating lake at Chasewater, and I caught him on an evening ride out to Yoxall and Barton. Have to say, the levels are raising impressively now.

Nice barnet…