Galleries

August 2nd – Up on the Chase for the first time in ages, and I realised how much I’d been missing it. From Hazelslade to Rainbow Hill, Slitting Mill to Birches valley, up Penkridge Bank, Rifle Range Corner, Abraham’s Valley, Seven Springs, Stepping Stones then Milford. From Milford to Brockton, down into Sherbrooke Valley via Brockton Field, and back via the former RAF Hednesford. 

Once away from the crowds it was a treat, and the deer ar Brockton were an unexpected joy.

August 1st – It’s a while since I’ve been able to photograph a heron locally. This chap, on the canal at Aldridge behind RMD showed beautifully for me as I took a quick afternoon trip out to get some shopping in. I got within 20 metres as the bird strolled along the bank, watching the water for fish. He’s clearly a youngster and didn’t have much fear; he only flew away when someone came in the other direction.

I love herons. So nice to see them continuing to thrive on the local waterways.

July 31st – An hour or so later, in Telford, I spotted the flowerbed at the railway station was rather wonderful in the sunlight. The day was warming, and the bright colours of the bedding plants were lovely. I don’t know who tends this planter, but whatever time of year it always looks incredible.

Thanks to whoever maintains it.

July 31st – Early morning, just after dawn, Mill Green in Aldridge. By heavens, it was cold; very cold for a summer morning. But it was sunny, and over this ripening field of oilseed rape, the sun passed and rendered it golden.

Interestingly wide field-margin, too – that’s got to be good for wildlife.

July 30th – Coming home from Shenstone, I noticed the harvest had started at Lynn, and the grain trailers were filling, clouds of corn-dust blowing over the fields and that familiar scent in the air. 

At Sandhills, the first blackberries ripen by the roadside, while the oats at Home Farm have already been harvested. Interestingly, when I took the photo of Ogley Hay church over the fields, I didn’t spot the red deer in shot…

July 30th – Passing through leafy, upmarket Mill Green on the way to work, I noted that the large abandoned house on the corner of Forge Lane looks to have reached the end of the line. Abandoned for years, I never found out how a very large, modern family home on the outskirts of Little Aston comes to fall derelict, and I now doubt I ever will, but the property was for sale for ages and was finally procured by developers a year ago.

Since then the surrounding scrub has been cleared, and a small bungalow built in the back garden. In the last couple of days, a large excavator has appeared which I suspect may demolish the house.

It’s nice to see something being developed on such an abandoned site, but one does wonder what happened.

A mystery.

June 29th – Spotted on the cycleway near Telford station, this oddly tortured oak tree. Generally with a healthy appearance, look closely and the tree is covered in insect galls, whereas the acorns that it has grown are oddly mutated and tiny. The leaves also seem subject to some kind of leaf miner attack.

I feel sorry for the oaks – they seem far more susceptible to such attacks and diseases than other trees. I’m not arborialist – is there a reason why the noble oak suffers so very much?

June 29th – Passing through New Street Station early on a sunny, bright morning. The skyline looked as busy as ever with clashing architectures, wires, antenna and other urban structures. And in the middle, the buddleia growing from the signalling cable raceway on the Hill Street Bridge was flourishing, seemingly unhindered and unnoticed.

July 28th – Returning home from Telford, unusually these days, I took the train to Shenstone and rode from there. It was against the wind, but a lovely ride: the fields are full of life and everywhere looks beautiful in summer colours.

Lots of maize about this year, interestingly in fields it was in before; clearly, crop rotation not a big priority. The crops are growing tall around Stonnall, and lush green, like a jungle. It’s a most un-British crop in that it’s so tall.

Also prevalent this season are spuds – acres and acres of them around Springhill. I wonder where they all go?