Tag: red

October 11th – The fly agaric are fairly profuse in the usual places around Chasewater. I nipped out late morning, still a bit rough, so kept it short. I mentioned a few days ago that the white spots dropped off the fairytale fungus as they aged – and so they do. The top picture shows an eight-inch monster that’s aged and split under it’s own weight; it’s almost completely free of spots and is starting to fade. Interestingly, the other two examples are younger, and still fairly free of spots.

I love fungi. I could study it all day.

August 9th – I was riding along The Sportway in Burntwood, the access road to the Rugby Club, that runs alongside the Chasewater Railway. Just on the bend before Chasewater Heaths, a group of four red deer – three adults and a fawn – had heard an approaching train, and were making a sharp exit into the thicket.

They needn’t have worried. The trains here don’t go fast, being a preserved line…

July 30th – Coming home from Shenstone, I noticed the harvest had started at Lynn, and the grain trailers were filling, clouds of corn-dust blowing over the fields and that familiar scent in the air. 

At Sandhills, the first blackberries ripen by the roadside, while the oats at Home Farm have already been harvested. Interestingly, when I took the photo of Ogley Hay church over the fields, I didn’t spot the red deer in shot…

July 25th – I headed to the supermarket in Aldridge late, and a golden hour had set in early. Riding along the canal at the back of the old Duckhams factory, I noticed several patched of these beautiful crimson flowers in the reed-beds.

I’ve not seen them before, and can’t find them in my (admittedly poor) wildflower guide. I’m assuming they’re a garden pond escapee. 

Any ideas, please?

July 12th – With it being so sunny, and no shortage of people around, I didn’t expect to see the deer at Chasewater. Fortuitously, I was wrong; there were three discrete groups, one with a young fawn, all browsing the North Heath.

They were largely tolerant of my attention, and were looking in good health.

A sight I still find astounding. Such beautiful creatures.

June 3rd – A later than usual commute, and I just caught the lights at Rushall Square as they went red. In the last few months, this junction has been resurfaced, with new high-friction braking surfaces and lane markings. As a junction, I’m quite fond of it.

I must spend ages waiting here.

I like the new lane markings coming the other way now, which seem to have improved road use between the two sets of lights no end. It’s a shame it has to be pointed out what the three lanes at the junction are for, but there you go…

May 14th – On Clayhanger Common, in very poor light and heavy rain, a group of six red deer – a stag and six hinds. In fine fettle, still moulting out, they walked towards me cautiously until spooked by a dog (which I cursed royally).

I am seeing the deer three or four times a week at the moment. I’ve never seen so many here. It’s astounding that such beasts live here in such apparent peace. I love them to bits.

May 2nd – I had the camera, this time – although the light was pretty terrible. Heading down Green Lane late afternoon in light rain, I noticed a group of red deer near the brook at the back of Jockey Meadows. I gently approached, and saw there were at least eleven animals, some in moult, some not. They seemed content and relaxed, and tolerated my approach. 

That was, until a motorbike came down the lane and spooked them.

A great sight on a grim afternoon not best suited to photography.

April 30th – This was a shock – I cycled to work for a change up the canal through Walsall Wood. Just past Clayhanger bridge, at the back of Maybrook Industrial Estate, a small group of female red deer (still very much in moult, the poor scruffy things) were browsing the scrub. This is an isolated patch only really accessible from nearby roads, but in itself, although small, is not bad for them as it’s barely touched by humans.

This means the deer are now crossing Clayhanger Bridge. 

Watch out on the roads, folks.