May 25th – Another thing that’s abundant right now is the May or Hawthorn blossom. Creamy white, with a distinctive (and not always pleasant) scent, there’s a huge amount this year, which on occasions is meeting the cow parsley in the hedgerow and just forming a white cascade, like here at Clayhanger.
This time of year is so wonderful – it’s just a shame it doesn’t last longer.
May 25th – As we advance to late spring and early summer, some of my favourite flowers are emerging now; birds foot trefoil ‘egg and bacon’, buttercups, elderflowers and ox-eye daisies all brighten the verges, hedgerows and edge lands of my commute.
Such lovely flowers. How I love this busy, colourful time of year.
May 18th – Riding home along a damp canal on a grey evening commute, I noticed the apple blossom is really, really profuse this year. This crab apple tree near the Black Cock Bridge in Walsall Wood is absolutely beautiful – and the scent is wonderful.
With decent weather in the last few days, hopefully pollination will be good. Certainly plenty of bees about, even on their grey, chilly evening.
May 17th – I see the canals are looking pretty messy again – not to worry though, as this pollution is entirely natural and harmless.
Lots of reed detritus and airborne blossom debris is combining, as it does at various times of the year, to form a heavy scum in wind traps on the surface of the water.
It’s harmless and will decay within a week or so, it’s perfectly natural.
May 16th – I had to visit Telford briefly, but I noticed how much greener the cycleways were than the last time I visited. Sadly, I’d just caught the end of the blossom on that wonderful line of trees, but the tunnel effect and verdant hedgerows were a joy all the same.
People knock Telford (me included) but it’s surprisingly beautiful in places.
May 12th – In total contrast to the rest of the week, a beautiful, warm but breeze day and very enjoyable riding indeed. As I set out early, bird were making the most of the early light, and the world seemed to be gently drying.
Arriving at work, my attention was snagged by the flowerbeds on the industrial estate. I love how tulips look like they have some kind of arachnid inside them.
A gorgeous day, which was wonderfully restorative after an awful few days.
May 10th – I squelched through Walsall Wood on the way home, like a drowned rat. The deluge had been particularly heavy around the ring road, and it had made the traffic aggressive and worrying.
I had something to do in Walsall Wood, and mindful of my promise to bring my friend the best of what was around, I spotted the gorgeous cherry blossom at St. Johns.
The day may have been a washout, but this more than made up for it.
May 9th – Pear blossom lasts but a few days, and you’re lucky to spot it really, but this thick crop of flowers, just going over and scattering like confetti on the strong breeze were profuse on the small pear tree by the new pond in Clayhanger.
Last year the tree fruited well, but with a late frost on the blossom, I’m not sure how well this tree will do this year.
Beautiful while it lasts, though.
May 9th – It’s a waiting game, still; I was hoping we might see some cygnets hatch over the weekend, but it seems not. The swans at Bentley Bridge wait patiently, whilst keeping a watchful eye on the odd bloke with the bike…
May 5th – This is always a nice first to chalk up for the year – the first duck and coot chicks have hatched. On the Walsall Canal at Pleck, proud mum and dad with large clutch of nine ducklings, and these three coots were spotted in Goscote, the rest of the family in overhanging bushes. I still think coot chicks have cute in shedloads.
Still no swan or Canada geese hatchlings yet.
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