Tag: garden

June 12th – Here’s something to gladden the heart.

It was sad to lose one of the Watermead swan brood, but a lady who’s been nesting for an awful long time in a Walsall Wood canalside garden has finally hatched a pair of chicks.

As I returned from work, mom and day were proudly taking to the water with their two cygnets – one for a while tucked protectively under mum’s wing.

Watching it emerge and swim excitedly with it’s sibling was a real joy.

I honestly thought her eggs were not going to hatch. A wonderful sight.

June 4th – A spin through Brownhills on a dull, rain-spotted afternoon reminded me that it was the flowering time of summer. Everywhere I went, copious flowers either wild of in gardens, beautiful colours just waiting to be seen.

Near Newtown on the canal, a white foxglove was keeping the bees busy and near the old railway line on Brownhills Common wildflowers were decorating and hiding the remains of the rail line here with admirable efficiency.

And then, in front of the Parkview Centre, what was once Brownhills Council House, a remarkable flowerbed that I believe is tended by volunteers. It’s a lovely thing and looks absolutely superb.

On behalf of Brownhills, I’d like to congratulate and thank whoever the gardeners are for their hard and skilful work. Thank you.

May 25th – Not a brilliant shot but something I’ve not seen growing wild in the UK before – ornamental alliums. These are pretty much onions, similar to wild garlic etc, and several less ornate relatives are common, but I’ve never seen these large, purple globes before outside of gardens.

They’re growing well on the grass edge land at Sandhills, just by Home Farm. I was fascinated to find them.

October 19th – Ostensibly asleep, but wide awake and studiously ignoring me, this spendid striped character spotted in North Walsall presumably waiting for their owner to come home. Snoozing on a garden wall, with a clearly well-used carpet atop for comfort, this seems like a regular haunt for a watcher of the world.

What lovely markings and what a delightful puss!

August 17th – Too many cats I hear you cry – sorry, but I adore them. And with the warm weather, they are everywhere; dozing, loafing, strolling, patrolling, stalking or just watching.

When the warm spell is over, they’ll be mostly gone.

Returning home from work this evening, I passed this relaxed guy in Pleck. He was in the same place this time yesterday.

It’s clearly a hard life, but he’s bearing up, best he can.

August 14th – And no series of wildlife pics would be complete without the bunnies. Oddly, the ones up on the dam at Chasewater seem to have vanished, so I’ve been looking for others when out an about; I saw these in a garden near Carroway Head. These are true rural rabbits; scruffy, dog-eared and showing signs of skin problems, these are animals that have seen a thing or two. But the eyes are bright and they were alert and content.

I do like the rabbits.

March 20th – At a cafe near Cannock Chase, an outdoor eating area monitored by small birds, just looking out for left scraps or dropped crumbs.

These are bold birds, familiar with humans, and just a bit more tolerant than their far more skittish rural counterparts, but they make terrific photographs.

I’d like to claim responsibility for the photos, but they were taken by my companion and were too good not to use. But we were on the same ride, so that’s what counts.

A joy to the heart.