Galleries

May 29th – A quick run through Walsall Wood on the cut on a wet morning rewarded me with all kinds of life in the dripping wet green. The swan family from the Watermead were near Clayhanger Bridge and had obviously gone past their nap-time. Shame about the litter, sadly left where people were fishing the day before.

If people bring stuff with them, is it really so hard to take it back home?

The Canada Geese goslings are also growing well, and were closer to The Black Cock bridge – but in-between, a stripy fellow was being nonchalant and pretending he’d not seen me.

Life teams this time of year, rain or shine.

May 28th – At Clayhanger, the Mallard family that numbered four on Sunday is down to three; probably picked off by a heron or raptor (or perhaps even a fox), it’s sad to see but natural, I guess. Mum may go on to have another clutch this year, and this is the way of things I guess. But I do hope the missing one didn’t suffer too much.

Meanwhile, just near Clayhanger Bridge, a single Canada goose mum and one gosling. I think there must be a story there too; she looked like she was protecting her fluffy charge with grim determination.

Nature can be so brutal sometimes.

May 28th – I came past Jockey Meadows in the early evening on my way home, in bright but cold sunshine. As usual, I cast my eyes to the right to see if there was anything interesting over the fields, and spotted three red deer – two does and a stag, all yearlings I think.

Looking healthy and better now the moult is nearly done with, they weren’t too phased by me and continued to browse the meadow.

A joyous sight, and one I’ll never tire of.

May 27th – He was there again, the cat I notice a lot in the waterside gardens at the back of Barrow Close. Black and white, not very old, he spends hours watching the water.

I wonder what he sees, and how he regards the far side of the water he’ll only ever reach when the canal freezes in winter? It must be like a forbidden paradise to him.

He’s a lovely lad.

May 27th – I guess a lost balloon is a reflection on the sadness of things, and that woeful feeling of loss a child develops when something is gone for good.

But it’s also a symbol of pollution.

I see lots of balloons as I ride around – town or country trapped in hedges, trees, verges, fields and scrub – and also in the canal. Eventually, it will deflate, and lurk, another piece of plastic detritus waiting to choke the wildlife and add to the building polymer poison time bomb.

I know it’s not a popular view but I wish these things we rarer.

May 25th – I’ve found a little oasis I never realised existed, but more on my main blog later in the week. In the meantime, here’s a grey wagtail I watched for ages, fetching bugs and feeding it’s young in an outbuilding. At one stage, it was challenged by a robing for hunting rights.

An amazingly close experience I never thought I’d have.

May 24th – The wildflowers and blossom are wonderful this year. On my way to Aldridge along the canal, I saw lots of hawthorn, cow parsley and my first flag iris of the year. I think the pink and violet ones are columbine or granny’s bonnet. The lupins are also superb.

Here goes the yearly uncertainty over flower identification. Ah well, down the hatch.

May 24th – The Watermead swan family in Brownhills are doing just fine, after the loss of a single cygnet soon after hatching. The remaining six are looking healthy and growing well when I saw them in the evening. Mum and dad are clearly protective, but aren’t shy to show off their charges, either!

Meanwhile, on the canal towards Aldridge, a small but perfectly formed mallard mum with four cute little ducklings.

A joy to see all these young birds at the moment.