Country Park – Canned Wildlife

Pilewort or Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna)

Mar 5, 2023Mar 5, 2023Posted in Canal, Country Park, Countryside, Encounters, Exploration, Farm, Garden, Greenbelt, Lakes, Local, Natural History, Nature Reserve, Plants, River, Walk, WoodlandTagged Adam Frost, April, BBC Countryfile, BBC Earth, BBC Gardeners' World, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Springwatch, BBC Wildlife, Botany, Bromsgrove, Bugs, Bumblebees, Butterflies, Canal, Canal Walk, Conservation, country park, Countryside, CPRE, Days Out, Encounter, Exploration, Farm, February, Flora, Garden, Gay Farmers, Gay Naturalist, Get Your Boots On, Green Belt, Green Space, Greenbelt, Horticulture, Huawei, March, Meadow, Micro Farm, Midlands, National Trust, Natural England, Natural History, Naturalist, Nature, Nature Reserve, Outdoors, Pond, Rewildling, River, RSPB, Semirural, Sir David Attenborough, Spring, Springwatch, Suburban, Suburbia, The Campaign for Rural England, The Lakes, The Wildlife Trust, Walk, Waseley Hills Country Park, Wetlands, Wild Garden, Wildflower, Wildflowers, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Wildlife Garden, Wildlife Gardening, Woodland, Woodland Trust, Worcester & Birmingham Canal, Worcestershire, World Land TrustLeave a comment

Pilewort or Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna), flowering between January and April; these lovers of damp woodland pathways, stream banks and ditches, can be found in gardens, meadows and shady hedgerows, and even Narnia, yes, Narnia! ✨

Ficaria verna growing on the bank of a field edge

An important nectar source for early emerging insects from hibernation, such as Queen Bumblebees 🐝

Lesser celandine were used to treat haemorrhoids, hence “Pilewort” and scurvy, due to being high in Vitamin C.

All in all, they are a pretty cool plant!

Thanks for reading! 😊

Local Natural Heritage

Sep 2, 2020Sep 3, 2020Posted in BBC, Birds, Conservation, Country Park, Countryside, Environmental, Exploration, Farm, Film, Greenbelt, Local, Natural History, Nature Reserve, Plants, TV, Video, Vlog, Walk, WoodlandTagged #MyWildLife, #WildTime, A Focus On Nature, Adam Canning, Adam O'Hare, AFON, Autumnwatch, Autumnwatch 2020, BBC Countryfile, BBC Earth, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Springwatch, BBC Wildlife, Birmingham, Birmingham UK, Bromsgrove, Campaign, Conservation, Countryfile, Countryside, COVID-19, Documentary, Earth Capture, Environment, Environmental, Frankley, Frankley Beeches, Green Belt, Green Birmingham, Green Space, Greenbelt, Landmark, Landmark Trust, Midlands, My Wild Life, National Trust, Natural England, Natural History, Nature, Nature On Screen, New Frankley, Our Plastic Feedback, Outdoors, Semirural, Springwatch, Springwatch 2020, The Campaign for Rural England, Video, Vlog, War On Plastic, West Midlands, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wildlife Filmmakers, Wildlife Vlog, WorcestershireLeave a comment

A few years ago and around May last year; I visited the Frankley Beeches woodland. I noticed it was being ill-managed and not really being cared for.

I have grown up with this remarkable wood, as my local landmark for 30 years (my entire life), and despite it looking lovely on the outside, it unfortunately is not the same on the inside!

Research concluded that it is the National Trust that haven’t been doing (their job) anything with it for years, and Bromsgrove District Council cannot have cared much either…

When I visited it last, it was in much need of restoration & conservation, within the wood there are dead & damaged trees, plus rubbish & disturbed soil from its careless visitors. The anthropogenic effect on the woodland is very much the same to this day!

I recently did a Tweet, tagging in those who it concerns and may care about the Frankley Beeches, and yesterday (01.09.2020) I visited there and made this video:

It appears there has been some removal of the added non-wild flora, which is great and I didn’t really notice any non-native invasion flora.

Today (02.09.2020) the National Trust in the Midlands got back to me on Twitter:

“…thank you for raising your concerns with us. I’m pleased to hear that you have seen a difference to the site. Unfortunately, like many places, we only have a small team who can complete essential tasks right now but we will make sure to take on your feedback when we update the conservation management plan. We did not put in place the plastic tree guards, but I have let the team at Clent Hills know that they are now littered around…”

So it’s the Clent Team who (are to blame) haven’t been doing anything for years, until fairly recently 🤔 I am pleased they finally replied to me, as a few years ago, I emailed them and was ignored!

Sorry to hear of their small team, thus causing neglect and negative knock-on effects to much cherished places…

💚 Thanks for visiting x

Day 14 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 14, 2020Jun 14, 2020Posted in BBC, Canal, Challenge, Coast, Conservation, Country Park, Countryside, Environmental, Exploration, Greenbelt, Local, Natural History, Nature Reserve, Video, Vlog, WoodlandTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #NowForNature, #TheTimeIsNow, #WilderFuture, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, A Focus On Nature, Action For Insects, Adam Canning, Adam O'Hare, AFON, BBC Countryfile, BBC Earth, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Wildlife, Birmingham, Birmingham City Council, Challenge, Coast, Conservation, Conservationists, country park, Countryfile, Countrylife, Countryside, CPRE, Days Out, DEFRA, Do Something Great, Documentary, Earth Capture, Environment, Environmental, Exporation, Film, For The Love Of, Frankley, Frankley Beeches, Green Belt, Green Birmingham, Green Space, Greenbelt, HS2, Huawei, Journalism, June, Made in Birmingham, Meadow, My Wild Life, National Trust, Natural England, Natural History, Nature, Nature On Screen, Nature Reserve, New Frankley, Now for Nature, Outdoors, Park, Presenting, Random Acts of Wildness, Rewildling, River, River Rea, RSPB, Semirural, Spring, Springwatch, Springwatch 2020, Suburban, Summer, The Campaign for Rural England, The Conservation Volunteers, The Countryside Charity, The Wild Side, The Wildlife Trust, Trees, Video, Vlog, West Midlands, Wild June, Wild Time, Wilder FutureLeave a comment

This morning I unsure what to do, thankfully a friend reminded me that I’m passionate about Green-belt & suggested I make a video (below) regarding its benefits.

Thanks for visiting 💚

October: Amazing Autumn

Oct 10, 2019May 23, 2020Posted in Country Park, Countryside, Deer, Encounters, Environmental, Exploration, Fungi, Greenbelt, Mammals, Natural History, Nature Reserve, Video, Vlog, Walk, WoodlandTagged Adam Ó Hare, Adam Canning, Adam L. Canning, Autumn, Autumnwatch, Birding, Birds, Birmingham, Conservation, country park, Countryfile, Countryside, Deer, Documentary, Encounter, Environment, Eurasian Jay, Fall, Fallow, Film, Fungi, Natural History, Nature, Ornithology, Outdoors, Suburban, The Wildlife Trust, Video, Vlog, Walk, Wildlife, Wildlife Monthly, WoodlandLeave a comment

Made in October 2011 [VIDEOS], three great things to look out for this month: acorn crazy Jays, Rutting Fallow Deer & fun looking Fungi!

🥜 🦌 🍄

Apologies for the inaccuracies in the Fungi video; pronunciation of hallucinogenic and apparently you can eat Amethyst Deceivers – but it is better to be safe than sorry! (No matter how good a recipe sounds!)

Thanks for visiting! x

Wildlife in December

Dec 18, 2017May 24, 2020Posted in Birds, Coast, Conservation, Country Park, Countryside, Encounters, Farm, Film, Garden, Local, Nature Reserve, River, Video, Vlog, Walk, West CountryTagged Adam Canning, Adam L. Canning, Birmingham, BTO, Documentary, East Yorkshire, Environment, Feeding Birds, Journalism, Migration, Nature, Outdoors, RSPB, Upton Warren, Urban, Video, Vlog, Water Rail, Whooper Swan, Wildlife Gardening, Wildlife Monthly, Wildlife Trusts, Wildlife TV Presenter, Winter, Winterwatch, WorcestershireLeave a comment

Out of the videos I have made, these three videos are definitely some of my ‘favourites’, as I love Water Rails, Whooper Swans and enjoy feeding the birds, and playingaround in the kitchen. 😀

We were pretty much Frozen Britain recently, certainly in the West Midlands…

Packed full of fun facts (2011):

Thanks for your visit! 😉
x

Wildlife in August

Aug 15, 2017May 24, 2020Posted in Birds, Country Park, Countryside, Encounters, Farm, Garden, Greenbelt, Insects, Video, VlogTagged Adam Canning, Birding, Birds, Birmingham, country park, Countryfile, Countryside, Documentary, Environment, Film, Flora, Garden, Insects, Meadow, My Wild Life, National Trust, Nature, Outdoors, RSPB, Suburban, The Wildlife Trust, Video, Vlog, West Midlands, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wildlife Trusts, WorcestershireLeave a comment

A lot of birds are quieting down now, but Yellowhammers 🐤 are continuing to sing away! Plus this is another great month for seeing some beautiful Butterflies! 🦋

(The videos below were made a few years ago)

Thanks for visiting! 😊

Wildlife in May

May 12, 2017May 24, 2020Posted in Amphibians, BBC, Birds, Country Park, Countryside, Encounters, Environmental, Exploration, Garden, Greenbelt, Lakes, Local, Mammals, Nature Reserve, TV, Video, VlogTagged Badgers, BBC, Birds, Birdsong, Botany, Countryfile, Countryside, Dawn Chorus, Documentary, Environment, Film, Frogs, Garden, Herptiles, Mammals, May, My Wild Life, Nature, Outdoors, Spring, Springwatch, Video, Vlog, Wildlife, Wildlife Monthly, Wildlife Trusts, WoodpeckerLeave a comment

A few years ago I made a series of short videos which were featured on the Reader’s Digest Magazine website, entitled Wildlife Monthly.

Each month I produced 3 videos around a minute or more, detailing flora and fauna (mainly fauna) for you to look out for; be it in your garden, local park / reserve or further afield.

Below I have included the videos from my May edition(s).

2012

2011
(apologies for the dodgy voice-overs)

Thanks for visiting 🙂

Day 14 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 14, 2016May 24, 2020Posted in Challenge, Conservation, Country Park, Countryside, Environmental, Exploration, Farm, Film, Greenbelt, Local, Nature Reserve, Video, Vlog, Walk, WoodlandTagged 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, Birding, Birds, Bromsgrove, Challenge, Conservation, country park, Countryfile, Countryside, Environment, Frankley, Frankley Beeches, Meadow, My Wild Life, National Trust, Nature, Random Acts of Wildness, Rubery, Springwatch, The Wildlife Trust, Video, Walk, West Midlands, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wildlife Trusts, WorcestershireLeave a comment

“Tweet for the wild”

14/06/16

Today I tweeted a link to the video below – which I made last year – about my favourite local patch and why it matters to me:

The poem I mentioned in the video: Ode to a Secret River

Thanks 😀

Wildlife Monthly: ARG Record Pool

Mar 17, 2016Posted in Amphibians, Canal, Challenge, Coast, Conservation, Country Park, Encounters, Environmental, Exploration, Farm, Garden, Greenbelt, Holiday, Interview, Lakes, Local, Nature Reserve, Reptiles, River, TV, Video, VlogTagged Adam Canning, Amphibians, ARG UK, Birmingham, Conservation, Countryside, East Midlands, Environment, Film, Herptiles, Interview, Jack Perks, My Wild Life, Random Acts of Wildness, Reptiles, Springwatch, Suburban, Survey, Video, West Midlands, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wildlife Garden, Wildlife MonthlyLeave a comment

This month I’ve decided to focus on some wildlife that takes a backseat, and is often overlooked – Reptiles and Amphibians! 🐍 🐸

ARG UK have teamed up with Amphibian and Reptile Conservation; to bring us a Record Pool of our water loving and sun loving friends! In the video below I interview Underwater Cameraman, Jack Perks – to give us some tips and the lowdown on this nationwide survey.

To get involved with the survey; click here. 💻

Get spotting!

Thanks. 😃

Day 24 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 24, 2015Jun 25, 2015Posted in BBC, Birds, Challenge, Conservation, Country Park, Encounters, Farm, Film, Greenbelt, Local, Nature Reserve, TV, Video, Walk, WoodlandTagged 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Wildlife, Birmingham, Bromsgrove, Cadbury, Conservation, country park, Countryfile, Countryside, Film, For The Love Of, Frankley, Frankley Beeches, Lickey Hills Country Park, My Wild Life, National Trust, Rubery, Springwatch, The One Show, The Wildlife Trust, Video, West Midlands, Wild Time, Wildlife Trusts, WorcestershireLeave a comment

Behind the Scenes: Video for the Wild

I chose the mystery location for yesterdays’ video, because I grew up a short walk away from it and was inspired by an episode of Countryfile where Anita Rani showcases rural Bradford 😛 Incase you’ve not seen the video, I’ll not ruin the ‘surprise’ with naming it. It’s where I cut my teeth as a child and naturalist, so to speak and over the years I’ve seen loads of wildlife there, a few firsts, which includes the time I saw my first Weasel as a child! Yesterday my friend Gary and I observed a Kestrel and Jay up there.

In the second shot of the intro to my video, I’m on the top of Rubery Hill/Cock Hill, with the Frankley countryside and suburb in the background, there are more great views from up there; the Lickey Hills, Rubery and Bromsgrove in the distance – plus the country park I reveal in my video 😉

When we were filming near Frankley Beeches wood, we heard and saw a beautiful male Yellowhammer – it’s the second time I’ve seen one in Frankley, (I’ve mainly distantly heard their song now and again) so I decided to record and feature this Yellowhammers’ song as the soundtrack for the video. We could also hear the beautiful song of the Skylark in the distance, down near Lower Hill Farm. On New Street, near the Greenbelt just before Frankley Hill Lane (which leads up to the Frankley Beeches Wood) I saw a partly Leucistic male Blackbird collecting worms, I almost mistook it for a Ring Ouzel!

**Yesterdays’ Video for the Wild** 😀

Today I observed a male and female House Sparrow feeding on aphids from the wee Willow Tree that’s in my parents garden.

Thanks for reading 🙂