May 22nd – A long time since I featured Jockey Meadows here – the Site of Special Scientific Interest lying on wetland between Walsall Wood and Shelfield.
Usually the last bit of local landscape to green up, it’s looking splendidly fresh and verdant in the sun, possibly because the annual occupancy by a heard of meadow-maintaining cows haven’t appeared yet.
I notice someone’s come in here with a tractor recently though, which is interesting.
A beautiful and very important place!
April 8th – Spotted in the meadow at Waterhouses, this venerable, grumpy looking puss.
Peak District cats are a tough breed, and often look as weathered as the landscape they inhabit. This white cat was just sat, taking the air and enjoying the sun (one presumes, although the expression doesn’t give much away). I like to think it was taking stock, and looking forward to another summer of hunting, stalling territory and snoozing in the sun.
As befits any older cat, really.
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?
September 5th – For the first time in ages, I had to visit Redditch, and passing through a wet, very grey Arrow Valley Park I came across a mystery: two five-foot long, narrow but heavy wooden boxes with hinged lids. Well made, they were just lying on the grass under a ticket. The boxes were sturdily constructed, with an internal lengthways divider and strong hinges.
The boxes were covered in what seemed like cement or masonry marks.
Then I spotted how they got here: a freshly disturbed patch of soil in the grass suggested someone had been drilling or undertaking some similar operation here. The cases would be tool or sleeve holders, their contents used, but forgotten by their owners.
I returned 3 houses later and they’d gone; I’d imagine these are quite costly items, so maybe their owner recovered them.
August 29th – Here’s an odd one. In the dark, I spotted dark shapes in the field by the canal at Newtown, just at the back of Sandbeds Caravan Park. The shapes were actually six red deer, loafing and browsing the meadow.
I’ve not really noticed them active at night before, all though I do know they move around a lot nocturnally.
Sadly, the flash would reach that far and they were to active to take a long exposure photo. So I I achieved was shining eyes in the darkness.
June 18th – After such a wet and miserable week it was lovely to have some sunshine and a relatively warm afternoon. Whilst the damp has been very good for the foliage and crops, it’s not been nourishing my humour at all, in fact, it’s been a very difficult period in which to stay positive.
Today’s ride, however, dispelled my gloom. Sights like this beautiful hay meadow in the Blackbrook Valley at Hints were enchanting, and the sun on my face was lifting.
You can be disillusioned with a British summer, and would be fully justified in being down – but there’s always something to remind you of why it’s such a beautiful season. The rarity value sometimes just serves to make the experience even more precious.
June 14th – I’ve been aware that Jockey Meadows has it’s own cat for a while. I sometimes see him disappearing into the meadow, or running over the lane into the wood. He always seems busy, and I think he lives at the cottages near Grange Farm.
Today, we met face to face – as I rode down Green Lane, I spotted him perched on a gatepost. Large, slightly long haired and with splendidly white whites he’s an impressive, large lad. We exchanged pleasantries, and then he continued his vigil.
That cat must have a ball. Acres of woodland, hedgerow and meadow right on his doorstep, he can while away his time dozing in any quiet spot he likes, or patrol a huge territory packed with interesting, small and squeaky things.
What a life.
June 11th – I had to pop into work late afternoon, and as sun tried to break through the generally overcast day, I stopped to look for my mates the coos at Jockey Meadows.
At first, I thought they’d gone again, but I could smell them. The muddy field was freshly churned after the rain. I looked carefully.
The workforce was busy. Deep in the scrub or the water meadow, they were here and there, doing what they do best.
Grazing, steadily. Getting the job done.
June 9th – I have no idea about Lepidoptera, but spotted this lovely moth (I think) in the flowers near the new pond in Clayhanger. It was beautiful and very active – and along with the bees and a whole host of other bugs, shows why margins and scrubs left to run wild are so very important for biodiversity.
June 3rd – A ride out to Abbots Bromley and Hoar Cross on a lovely afternoon. Right now, the meadows are full of buttercups and absolutely delightful. The Needwood Valley was as beautiful as ever, and Hoar Cross Church as imperious as it ever was.
Great to see the bugle flowers still so prolific in the churchyard.
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