April 17th – Spotted in a canalside garden on a dull. overcast bank holiday afternoon, this black and white puss feigned disinterest, but was clearly watching me closely as I passed on the canal at Catshill.
I love how cats balance and seem comfortable on the thinnest, most awkward looking things.
April 15th – A better day, but with a keen wind and I headed out for a ride late afternoon. Passing along the canal in Brownhills, the local feline population didn’t disappoint: At Catshill just on Clayhanger Common, eyebrow cat cast a surly, but authoritative figure as it disdainfully regarded me, and on a canalside deck but the Watermead, an old puss had fallen asleep, seemingly unaware his tongue was still out.
I’m loving the cats at the moment…
April 13th – Spring flowers are coming thick and fast now, from dead nettles to bluebells, both Spanish and English lining the hedgerows, edge lands and verges.
Spotted at Shire Oak, some beautiful sights just growing in a mundane, roadside here that most would just pass by.
There’s beauty out there in profusion if we’re open to it.
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.
April 7th – I spotted this thirsty puss on my way back to Brownhills, on the canal bank behind the building site not far from where I saw ginger last week – but closer to Silver Street than Catsill Junction this time.
Anyone who owns a dog or cat will know that no matter what water you give them, rain and pond water will always be best, and this cat took it’s fill before studiously ignoring me and heading back to the bushes.
I love to see cats drinking like this.
April 5th – Blue sky and profuse cherry blossom, one of the absolute joys of spring. Spotted on an industrial estate in Walsall, just how gorgeous is this?
Spring is here and there’s beauty everywhere you look.
March 26th – Amongst the animal life spotted in Tamworth, two canal cats watching me from the opposite bank. The black one was a sleek, young-seeming and alert garden-panther. The black and white clearly older, more – ahem – generously proportioned – and shall we say a little cuddly.
Both shared the same utter contempt for me.
I adore cats, but often it’s so very much unrequited.
March 18th – A brief run out on a wolfish, windy afternoon had me glared at by a resident of… Catshill.
This grey and white, somewhat scornful fellow was watching me contemptuously from the far bank of the canal, just past the Anchor pub. I’ve never seen in before, but from the small grey dot on his nose to the subtle striped tail, he’s clearly a lovely cat.
I noticed he seems to be sitting at the mouth of a fox set, too. Wonder if the resident was inside, wishing the cat would bugger off?
February 28th – in the swamp at the end of Victoria Park in Darlaston, just past the old railway bridge on the way to Kings Hill, a surprise today in the rain: The blackthorn is flowering.
Always the earliest tree blossom, it’s a lovely sight and on this wet, miserable day I was so pleased to see it.
Interesting too to see the blackthorn bush with an alder growing intertwined around it.
January 15th – One of those horrible, headache-grey wet winter days when it never really seems to get light and never stops raining. I plodded out to Chasewater, after checking the waxwings were still at Silver Court. Their numbers had increased, but the light was way too poor to get pictures.
Chasewater was empty save for a few brave souls, and the cafes had closed early. I mooched for a bit, looking for interesting wildlife, but found none, not even the large white geese which seem to have been missing now for weeks. I hope they’re OK but I guess by now they’re very old and I think they may have passed away.
I noticed with some amusement that new signs have been erected about not feeding the birds near the fort (due to pollution in the gravel there) – and something looked odd about the spacing of the ‘s’ on ‘birds’ – and then I realised someone had hastily removed an apostrophe. On all of them. Oops.
Also, is that comic sans?
The canal route I took back to Brownhills on the other hand was quite interesting. In atrocious light I saw the goosanders again, and I wonder if I’d ever be able to get a decent photo of these odd birds. The two remaining Abbey Road ducks were out and about too, as was Mrs. Muscovy, but her photos were so poor as to be unusable.
An awful day to ride, but I did see some interesting stuff which at least made braving the elements worthwhile.
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