June 21st – At Stonywell, between Farewell and Longdon Green, my attention was snagged by a bright red flash as I sped past. Doubling back, I found a rare treat: a field of oilseed rape overcome by bright red poppies.
It’s beautiful, and stunning. I love the countryside of Staffordshire – it’s always surprising.
June 20th – A ride out on a bright, sunny but windy afternoon, punctuated by very heavy, thundery rainstorms. I went to Chasewater to see what I could find, and the range of wildflowers did not disappoint. I’m particularly pleased with the marsh orchid i found on the canal embankment at Newtown.
Such beauty on an afternoon when many would have stayed indoors…
June 17th – This is joyous.On the banks of the new pond at Clayhanger, what I believe to be northern marsh orchids growing in profusion. The grass is not cut here, and there must be 40 or so of these beautiful purple flowers. They are doing well, and they’re just gorgeous.
The whole bank running down from the towpath is a carpet of wildflowers, and alive with bugs and bees.
There are usually a few marsh orchids on the towpath up towards Aldridge, but the Canal and River Trust’s ferocious and inflexible mowing schedule means that all the best specimens have this year been shredded to pulp in the name of tidiness.
Let’s hope the mowing zealots don’t spot these…
June 10th – A little further on, on the south side of the Black Cock Bridge, one of my favourite local bits of wilding is coming into flower – the huge, rambling honeysuckle growing from the paddock up the bank to the railings.
As usual, it’s divine, and bigger than the year before.
This is a beautiful spot and the shrub itself is charming and smells delightful. A real sign of a nascent summer.
June 9th – Further up the canal at Bentley Bridge, another yellow wonder of the season: the water lilies are just coming out. These yellow ones are first, then later come the pink-wihite variety.
These seem good for bugs, and add an interesting shock of colour to the waterways. Seeing them is always the sign of an advancing season.
April 14th – A sunny, warm moring. A run through a Wednesbury Industrial Estate, to come upon a grass bank covered in hundreds of daffodils.
I’m no Wordsworth, but I think I know what he meant.
Few spring sights are this joyous. Beautiful, and good for the soul…
January 18th – For the first time in weeks, my deer magnet was on an working well. Crossing the north heath at Chasewater, I spotted a female red deer laying in the scrub by the fence, then as I approached, about seven others became evident, loafing in the scrub, including a young male. The were tolerant, co-operative and in no hurry to go anywhere. A lovely sight.
Turning to leave, I noted three darker reds up on the bank 100 metres away. They were more skittish, and I’m not convinced they were from the same herd… they certainly didn’t seem friendly with the ones on the lower pasture.
A brilliant sight on a great ride; how I love these graceful, peaceful animals and the fact that they roam wild in my hometown.
July 17th – On my return, I was held up by some rather familiar beaked* villains. This is Coulter Lane, Burntwood, just outside the farm where they sell asparagus. It’s a good couple of miles from Chasewater – yet these honking, hissing impediments to cycling progress are clearly the Chasewater geese – domestic birds set free some years ago, that generally hang around the boating lake, grumping at anyone and anything.
Are they regulars here? Is this actually their home? Do they commute?
So many questions, so little time…
*yes, I know they have bills, not beaks, but it doesn’t scan as well.
July 14th – South Wigston station, where sadly some Philistine has been out with a brush-cutter and mown the interesting flowers back from the walkway.
However, the sweet peas growing in the centre of my favourite patch of wilding are keeping the bees busy.
There’s always something to cheer, here…
July 6th – I wasn’t in the mood to ride much – I had lots of work to do, so just popped up to Chasewater to check out the Craft & Farmers market, which again, disappointed. I shan’t bother with that again.
I spun out for a circuit around the park, and was taken by the buddleia, water lilies and various marsh orchids, which out here, unlike the ones near the canal, hadn’t gone over yet.
I stated last week that the flowering time was passing; but I was wrong. Things are still flowering well, just in different ways and different places.
This really is a most excellent summer.
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