December 24th – Scouting for deer, I came across this pair of bandits on the canal towpath by Clayhanger Common. They normally dwell in the field off Northfields Way at Clayhanger, but keep escaping, the owner apparently at a loss to know how. As a consequence, they roam Clayhanger village and common, and are developing somewhat truculent personalities.
It took some coaxing to move them so I could get past!
December 19th – It may be deepest winter, but along the cycleways and towpaths there are still tenacious hips, haws and berries clinging on to sparse shrubs and trees providing food for songbirds, who seem to be devouring them now with a passion not shown in many a year.
Grandad used to say that if there was a profusion of fruit, it meant a bad winter was in store. I’m not sure about that, but the birds do seem to be stocking up for something this year.
I wonder what they know we don’t?
December 15th – The cotoneaster this year seems to have not been doing so well. These bright red berries, beloved of blackbirds, are normal evident in profusion along urban towpaths, footpaths and cycleways, but for some reason are heavily planted on industrial estates.
This huge bed at Moxley is normally a sea of red-orange at this time of year, with a permanent fluster of wings and beaks. But not this year; I’d say the crop is abut 30 percent of it’s normal size.
Whilst my grandfather used to say ‘it’s always a good year for something’ I guess the reverse is true and this just wasn’t the cotoneaster’s year.I hope it’s not cold otherwise the blackbirds may struggle.
December 11th – Nipping up to Chasewater to check out the Christmas Fair there, I spotted a familiar duck in the reeds near the Chase Road bridge.
It’s Mrs. Muscovy, the Newtown One. On the run (waddle) for nearly a year now, I thought the foxes must have had her as I’d not seen her for ages.
I’m glad to see this curious, singular, solitary duck is still with us.
December 10th – Whilst in Brownhills checking out the Christmas Market event, I popped over to Clayhanger Common to check out the rosy earthstar colony growing there.
These remain the most odd, fascinating fungi I have ever seen, and despite my initial concern, they are showing beautifully this year.
When ripe, the central sphere crumbles and the spores spread on the wind.
So pleased to find what is a relatively rare fungi locally.
December 4th – A bitterly cold day, but it was sunny and bright and I felt Cannock Chase calling me – so I wrapped up warm and went for it.
On the way, checking out the condition of the rosy earthstar fungus at Clayhanger Common, I passed this juvenile swan on the canal between the Pier Street and Catshill Junction bridges. This is very probably one of the large brood hatched here in the summer, which have mostly now migrated into the large flocks at Chasewater and Stubbers Green where they regularly get fed.
Still in juvenile plumage, this was a large, healthy bird, clearly used to admirers as it approached me eagerly chattering for food, yet drifted away when the realisation that I was empty handed dawned.
I’ve not seen many swans on the local canal recently, so this was a pleasant change…
November 29th – A dreamy, icy, freezing morning that turned my breath to clouds of steam and air that hurt the back of my throat, all in glorious, glorious hazy sunshine. Utterly beautiful and it’s made me fall in love with winter again.
About time, too.
Jockey Meadows, between Walsall Wood and Sheffield were gorgeous, from the low mist to the horses grazing peacefully; I noted signs had been put up by local police requesting folk keep an eye out for wildlife crime, which is excellent. We all need to be vigilant.
The beauty continued into Walsall where the canals were the same as they ever were; a quiet, glorious commuting byway.
I’m so lucky to live here and be able to enjoy it.
November 23rd -Noticed in light drizzle just by the far side of the canal, on the edgelands of a scrapyard near Bentley Bridge in Walsall: apples, so far out of human reach, they’re rotting off the tree – food only for birds, squirrels and foxes.
Dripping with winter rain, I guess they’ll stay until the next really heavy wind.
Sad to see. I wonder if they’re tasty at all?
November 20th – I know very little about great crested grebes, but there seemed to be rather a lot of them on Chasewater as I passed through. Difficult to photograph for their habit of diving just as you get them in shot, they are gradually transitioning into winter plumage and losing their distinctive brown flashes on their heads. They dive and pursue fish underwater, and I wonder if their recent apparent profusion at Chasewater indicates improving fish populations there following the dry years when the lake was drained.
Lovely birds, fascinating to watch.
November 13th – I slid out in the afternoon with the Remembrance air of sadness on my shoulders, and headed for restorative coffee and cake up at Fradley Junction. In the courtyard f the cafe there, song birds tamed and emboldened by a life of cheekily sneaking titbits and crumbs from customer’s tables flit busily among the leaves, hunting for morsels.
Also present for the the autumn bug cloud was this cheeky little pied wagtail.
He made for lovely, cheering entertainment as I relaxed.
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