Tag: Shenstone Woodend

May 31st – He was in the middle of a busy lane at Shenstone Woodend, just sitting there. I spotted him by chance, and just swerved to miss him. I screeched to a halt and thought what to do.

He could fly short distances, but was clearly exhausted, and I couldn’t get him out of the road for love nor money. I know you’re not supposed to touch fledging chicks, but he was going to get squished under the wheels of the many vehicles that come this way.

I gently picked him up, and popped in in the hedge right next to where I found him. I hope he survived.

Anyone know what he is? I think he’s a tit of some sort.

Edit: Thanks to Fatuoussunbeams – he’s a blue tit. Thought he was, but after my recent dire attempts at botany I’m hedging my bets! Cheers…

May 15th -South Staffordshire is currently littered with oddly placed scaffold towers like this one, either side of the Birmingham Road at Shenstone Woodend. Their placement and purpose has caused some consternation, but there’s a simple explanation. Having upgraded the Ray Hall to Drakelow high voltage feeder line last year, Electricity Alliance are now upgrading the parallel one that also connects to a switching compound at the former Hams Hall station in Warwickshire. The towers – with nets suspended between them – prevent cables dropped from the transmission lines above from falling into roads and railway lines.

I’m wondering if this is a precursor to building the new gas combined cycle power station at Drakelow…