Canal Walk - Four Locks Bridge (Prestwood) to Bells Mill (15 March, 2015)

Just before Bells Mill a carp fishery has been created, called Bells Mill Fishery.  It can only be viewed from the canal towpath and, what I could see, there are two pools with islands in the centre. Pairs of canada geese seemed to have took up occupation of the islands, no doubt with a view to breeding. The pools look to have good potential in attracting  passage and nesting birds. But we will wait to see how much disturbance there will be from ones fishing there.

On my return walk, a male reed bunting was singing at Middle Bridge.

Bells Mill Fishery

Four Locks Bridge

Middle Bridge

Old Barge

Castle Hill. (10 March, 2015)

Castle Hill.

I parked in a layby near to Kingsford Mobile Home Park and started the walk from Castle Hill Lane. It's a muddy path, due to recent rain, and a steady incline to the 'summit' of about a mile with a few houses on the right-hand side. Near the top is an old farm house, marked as Castle Hill Farm and site of castle ruins on the old OS maps, which looks derelict with an overgrown garden to the front. Most of the land seems to be a mixture of arable and grazing land with a few stables and grazing for horses.

The footpath carries on up past the farm house, on the left, and soon plateaus out at the top. It then starts a steady decline with some mature holly trees along the right-hand side. The left-hand side overlooks arable fields with a commanding view of Arley Wood. I stopped at this point (the path eventually takes your to Starts Green and Arley Wood) and retraced my walk back to the car - total time 2 hours.

Wildlife recorded:

5 Ravens - some making their diagnostic croaking calls as they flew over. There was a total of six buzzards with one individual sat in the centre of one of the fields no doubt looking for food. A small flock of chaffinches were feeding on the ground in one of the paddocks. A great spotted woodpecker was drumming and a nuthatch was calling in a small copse just past the farm. A skylark sang overhead.

Footpath through hollies

Hollies

View of Arley Wood

Looking back to Kinver Edge

View of Vales Rock

Wolverhampton Airport (Bobbington Airport)

Wolverhampton Airport (Bobbington Airport) Halfpenny Green lies just north of SO88 in SO89.  Even though not in the study area, only 1/2 mile outside, it is worthy of mention (not just for aviation enthusiasts) for its grassland habitat.

In between the runways and taxiways are large areas of grass which is a haven for wildlife.  Due to the security of the airfield (all viewing has to be done from the road) there is very little human disturbance - aircraft, like motorcars, are tolerated by birds and mammals.

Singing skylark is guaranteed in spring and summer along with red-legged partridge and, if lucky, grey partridge - a rarity these days.  In the past I have seen curlew there uttering their liquid calls. Birds of prey have put in a good appearance over the years with merlin, peregrine, kestrel, and short-eared owl.  It used to be a great place for hare but, alas, they seemed to have declined in recent years.

And so I paid a visit there on Saturday 28 February.  To my surprise, there was a female stonechat on one of the fence posts.  I watched the bird for about 30 minutes as it kept flying down to the ground in search of food and then returning to one of the many fence posts around the perimeter of the taxiway.