May 18th – I spotted him sat on the decking on the canal bank by Barrow Close, Walsall Wood. The marmalade cat’s attention was so fixed, I couldn’t possibly distract him.
I hope he caught whatever it was. Not seen this chap before – that looks like a fine stripes tail there!
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 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.
April 25th – Awful commuting weather. On the way to work in the morning, I faced a grim wind and sharp, heavy shows. It was cold and I was missing waterproof trousers, so arrived at work damp and miserable. Similarly, on the way home I was caught in heavy rain, but this time there was a severe headwind. And between the squalls? Flashes of bright sunshine and dark, threatening skies.
April has proven a real challenge this year.
April 21st – I came back through Walsall Wood as I had to make a call, and noted that the new leisure centre at Oak Park was nearing completion. Due to the size and location, it’s been really hard to get decent pictures of, but it looks like it’s going to be a great place and a worthy successor to the raging centre currently here.
I note huge amounts of earth are being moved around the site at the moment to regrade an re-landscape it.
I look forward to seeing the finished project.
April 19th – Spotted on the way home, a small group of red deer at the far side of a freshly planted field on the south side of Jockey Meadows, near High Heath.
Haven’t seen deer on this side of Green Lane for a while. They were right over by the brook, and I guess they’d been laying low in the marsh there for most of the day.
I still can’t really believe we live in a place where these large, wonderful and beautiful creatures roam freely.
After all these years, to see the deer is still a delight.
April 13th – I spotted her on the way home, something I don’t think I’ve seen before, a Canada goose nest. From my vantage point on the opposite side of the canal, I couldn’t decide at the time if she was sitting a nest, or just resting. It’s clearly the former, looking at the material underneath her.
This nest is right on the canalside behind the factories on Maybrook Road, between Walsall Wood and Brownhills. My goodness, she’s vulnerable to foxes there.
Lovely to see, though. Hope she’ll be OK.
April 8th – One sight that is wonderful every year – though often overlooked – is the appearance of the daisies. Common as the grass they grow in, these little blooms of quiet perfection are fascinating when you look closely, and very under appreciated.
I felt sorry for these on the canal bank, so I captured their image to share with everyone.
April 8th – Coming through Jockey Meadows in Walsall Wood after a long, hard day at work, I realised that things here were just starting to green up for the new season. Often, this is the last place locally to shake of the drab shades of winter, but this year it seems a little quicker.
This unusual site of special scientific interest that stops Walsall Wood, Pelsall and Shelfield forming one huge sprawl is an odd hinterland, but I do love it so.
Wonder if the coos will be back this year?
March 22nd – A cockup. I took loads of photos today on the way to work, not realising I had the camera set in some horrid artistic mode and they all came out as blurry rubbish.
The only pictures that came out reasonably where these, where I’d picked a different mode – and being handheld, neither are very good, sadly.
I had to call in to Walsall Wood on the way home, and hopped on the canal at Hollanders Bridge. The night-cap from there was gorgeous, as were the lights of Barrow Close. I just wish I’d captured them better.
Ah well, another day.
BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking 