Fairy Glen. 10 May, 2015.

Fairy Glen, as its name suggests, is an enchanting place to visit, especially in spring with its carpet of bluebells spread across the floor of a oak, beech and sycamore wood.

It is between the A449 and Sugarloaf Lane. The best access point is from the lane that connects the A449 and the A451 known as Beech Tree Lane. There is a small lay-by about half way along the lane just past Beech Tree Farm. It's only a short walk to Fairy Glen from there; but be careful, the track can get muddy after rain so choose a dry period if possible or wear stout foot ware.

When I walked into the Glen, a great spotted woodpecker was drumming. Near by, whitethroats were singing their characteristic scratchy song along with the melodic song of blackcaps. A buzzard flew out for the top of an oak tree and drifted off out of sight.

It's the bluebells, and other ground flora, growing below the majestic trees that make it such a refreshing place for a nature walk in spring.  I was surprised to find ramsons ( wild garlic) alongside the footpath - see photo. I couldn't resist picking some of the leaves and crushing them in my hands which gave off its distinctive garlic aroma.

Fairy Glen

 Majestic Oak Tree

Ramsons (Wild Garlic)

Ramsons (Wild Garlic)

Enville Common.

Enville Common, not to be confused with Highgate Common, is west of The Million, starts at the A458 and runs alongside the Chester Road for well over a mile. It is, though, only about a quarter of a mile wide. There are two public footpaths that dissect it, one eventually goes to Blundies Lane, Enville and the other one comes out on the A458 by what used to be called the '60 Bend'. There is another footpath that runs the whole length of the eastern side where there are a few dwellings.

It's an interesting stretch of woodland because it contains some mature scots pine as well as larch, which the later was probably planted the same time as The Million. A lot of work has been taking place recently of thinning out sone of the larch and leaving the scots pine in place, which gives it the look and feel of Breckland or Caledonian.

I took the second footpath from the Chester Road, the one that comes out on Blundies Lane, and walked through the common, took a short walk right and left along the parallel footpath and then on to Enville.

Some of the scots pine were riddles with holes, showing their age, and looked good for breeding woodpeckers. The footpath to the right produced a beautiful pair of linnets, in breeding plumage, in one of the small paddocks opposite a house.

As I walked towards Enville, I came across some elm trees forming as hedgerow. Because of Dutch elm disease, elm trees only grow up to 4m before succumbing to the disease.

Enville Common

Enville Common

Elm Tree Leaves

Highgate Common

17 April, 2015

It's a good time of year to visit Highgate Common because summer migrant birds are arriving by the day. No sooner had I parked the car then a cuckoo started to call, heralding the arrival of spring.  But it wasn't the cuckoo I had come for. Spring brings a heathland bird that can go unnoticed by the thousands of dog walkers that the common attracts. O yes, the cuckoo had been heard by most the walkers that morning as each one told me when walking past, seeing I had my binoculars and camera, with large lens, at the ready. But what of this mysterious bird that to the untrained eye, and ear, can miss? Even as one man walking his dog was telling about the cuckoo he had heard that morning this unobtrusive bird was singing only yards away.  Even experienced ornithologists find it difficult at times to identify this bird, at certain times of the year, from its close cousin the meadow pipit. Highgate common is a lowland heath, and that's one of the giveaways as this bird specialises in breeding in this habitat with its heather and small trees. A meadow pipit, despite the name, wouldn't be singing its head of this time of the year on a lowland heath in the Midlands.  One other big factor that gives its identity away, as well as subtle plumage characteristics, is the bird's display and song. So what is the bird in question? A tree pipit.

Tree Pipit, Highgate Common

As can be seen from the above photo, the tree pipit is a nondescript bird with brown and olive plumage, the reason why it goes missed by the general public. But listen out for its song and, its most captivating feature, the display flight! When you get to know some of its secrets and 'clocked' it, it is never forgotten.

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.

Kinver Edge (22 February, 2015.

An early start to the day showed Kinver Edge at its best with a heavy frost and not too many people around.

A frosty Kinver Edge

Gorse spikes showing heavy frost