May 2nd – The canals locally are a joy at the moment. Spring is in full effect and in one short journey between Walsall and Darlaston I saw new goslings, moorhen and coot chicks and an older family of ducklings.
When your ride to work contains such wonderful things, it’s hard not to have a great day.
April 24th – And not far away, just drifting on the canal asleep, softness and colour of a different natural kind. Mallards are colourful birds – even the females who would ordinarily be considered plain have remarkable colourings if you look closely. This fellow’s head is a lovely shade of iridescent green.
As I watched him and took his picture, he opened one eye, regarded me sleepily, and closed it again, totally at peace, drifting in the breeze.
April 23rd – On the canal at Hopwas, a swan nest. The male was stood on the towpath, alternately preening and scolding passers by, while his partner, safely atop the nest on the opposite bank fussed and turned her three eggs to just the right position before settling back down to watch and wait once more.
Swans are such truculent, fascinating birds.
April 22nd – I headed out for an afternoon ride, still tentatively fiddling with some mechanical issues. I first called in to the Watermead swan family, to see if their clutch had hatched yet, but apparently not, but on the way, I found this longhaired hunter stalking a little mallard.
Annoyed I’d spotted him and therefore ruined his chances of a waterfowl for tea, he was hunting not 20 yards from the swan nest. Whilst puss here is no threat to the swans (or the mallard for that matter, despite the seriousness of his intent) I can’t help feeling he’ll be in for a short, painful shock if he fancies a little cygnet.
A swan peck on the head comes very sharp and swan parents don’t mess about!
April 21st – Spent some downtime doing mechanical things on the bikes and then went for a test spin up to Chasewater. On the way, I noted that Mrs. Miuscovy, who escaped her domestic flock over 12 months previously, was still thriving on the canal despite her singular and peculiar habit of rarely moving from the towpath and adjacent patch of canal.
She’s a fascinating and resilient bird, and considering her fellow escapee was fox lunch soon after escape, the Newtown One’s survival is remarkable and to be commended.
A daring and delightfully eccentric duck.
April 15th – A good 50 miler over the Chase, Shugborough and around Blithfiield Reservoir rewarded me with sights of deer, rabbits and even a sheep with a curious resemblance to an old-fashioned teddy bear. So good to be out in the spring, despite the gloom, cold and strong winds.
Such a pleasure too to see the fallow deer who’ve been scarce of late, looking scruffy in the moult. Summer is coming for sure!
April 14th – Nipping to Brownhills for a bit of shopping, late and in quite heavy rain. It was warm rain though, so not too bad.
I paid a visit to the Watermead swans, to see if we had hatchlings, but one bird was still sitting and no sign of the partner.
I think they’ll hatch any day soon!
April 12th – A horrid, wet commute home on a surprisingly cold day was lightened somewhat by the antics of a familiar pair of avian muggers on the towpath near Clayhanger.
I assume the same pair every year take residence on this stretch of canal, and noisily accost anyone passing for tidbits or sheer goosey devilment – honking, head-bobbing and if sufficiently irritated, pecking.
I carry a small bag of seed to distract them while I make good my escape, but I love them really.
There’s not much kindness in your average goose…
April 11th – In the soft light of a windy but sunny afternoon, the canals are looking great; Here near Clayhanger Bridge the hedgerows and thickets are showing bright green and very, very fresh – but not just that, they’re as alive with songbirds as the waterway is with waterfowl.
Everywhere you look, the environment is teeming with life at the moment, either fresh new leaves, blossom or nesting birds. Such a joyous, beautiful time of year.
Just wish the wind would ease up a bit…
April 1st – It’s the sixth anniversary of this journal today, and what better way to celebrate that than a canalside drama in photos?
Very lucky to catch this, so excuse the awful focus in the action shots. I just saw a small ginger face behind the geese and assumed it was a fox, not a particularly ambitious, small ginger cat!
I don’t know who this dashing young blade is, but it had big dreams, ad was hunting near the new builds between Catshill Junction and silver Street in Brownhills.
A lovely cat, and no geese were harmed in the making of this post!
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