Longbridge, in South Birmingham – the birth place and former home of Rover – has a new High Street and Green Space! It’s on the site of where the said factory used to be. The River Rea that runs through the area has had a habitat and Green Space created around it, and it’s pretty much established and looking lush now! 😀
Today I explored it after purchasing Father’s Day gifts (with my trusty mobile to hand for snaps and clips).
The car park of the newly located Bournville College, with Green Space along side it, some of the old Rover site on the other side.People and nature co-existing beautifully.
I saw a Grey Wagtail (which have some yellow feathers) down there to left of where the lad on the bike was. The video below isn’t great but you can hear it calling 😛
The middle of the new Green Space, looking towards the chap on the bike. This is the bridge you see in the distance.Where this newly created habitat ends.
I was really pleased that this new place is now a good feeding area for House Martins, there were quite a few wizzing and swooping around 🙂
Today my friend Gary (mentioned in previous posts) and I visited the Wolseley Centre – Staffordshire Wildlife Trust HQ!
We’ve had great day, the weather was wonderful. We both hadn’t been before. I was impressed by the variety of habitats (grassland, lakes, rivers and woodland) and species.
Today’s challenge was “invite a friend into nature”, but it was also chance for Gary to brush up on his photography skills (I shall document what we saw below!) And in line with the challenge, I did my best to teach Gary about all the various creatures we came across and the bird songs we heard.
We saw Swallows and House Martins flying above the centre.And this Bee and Bumble Bees on the Purple Wallflower at the entrance of the centre.Not seen Honeysuckle in such a deep yellow before 🙂Gary and myself before our wild walk. Photobombed by a Mallard! 😉Whilst Gary looked through my binoculars, I told him about what he was observing (nice shirt!)A wild sculpture!This time we were photobombed by a Canada Goose! 😉If you remember, I love Oak Trees! This individual has been adopted by Philip Rainsbury and Sue Haycock 🙂Can you spot the baby Rat?Gary’s first ever Chaffinch – to his knowledge 😛One of my favourites of Gary’s snaps, a Great Tit in flight.Some grassland management (I have the camera now)We were watching a male Blackcap.A disheveled Peacock Butterfly (by me)A Common Blue Butterfly (Gary has his camera back)But who took this one?!Willow seeds settled on the pond.Giant Leaves, Giant Snail!A Terrapin?! I was surprised to see this. Taken by Gary with a lens kindly lent by a very friendly chap from Stoke (walking past)St. John’s Wort.A stunning sculpture – very talented work!
There’s still a little bit more for us to explore, looking forward to the next visit! 😀
I got back from work (I don’t usually work on Sundays) and I didn’t have to wait long until I was eating a lovely Roast Dinner made by my Mum. Afterwards my Dad said a newspaper he read earlier had something about birds nesting on a roof – he kindly fetched it for me… I was appalled by what I read! So as of a few minutes ago, I did “send a letter to your local newspaper” – one of the suggestions in the 30 Days Wild booklet.
I e-mailed the newspaper, this is what I sent:
Dear Sunday Mercury/J Taylor,
Firstly, Peregrines are Falcons – not Hawks. They haven’t and won’t decimate Songbirds. Also, not all ringed birds are Pigeons and are ‘owned’ by people.
Secondly, they are ‘native’ and are protected due to the years of persecution on Raptors (Birds of Prey) from a minority of small minded people – with unfair unrealistic outdated views.
Thirdly, Peregrines have moved to where their food is, due to the affects us humans have on the natural world – they are originally Coastal Birds (mostly), like Rock Doves a.k.a Racing/City/Feral Pigeons.
Lastly, a Peregrine is only doing what is natural in nature – keeping and racing Pigeons is not. The RSPB conserve all nature equally.
For the RSPB, people have recently been sharing a few frog faces on social media, seen any? Well, it’s in aid of a new TV advert and campaign, starting today! Hopefully it will encourage those who have watched it; to get together where they live and give nature the home it needs – and rightfully deserves 🙂
I thought I would join in and do a Frog Face, for today’s 30 Days Wild! 😛
I stuffed my face with apple and widened my eyes
You may be happy to know it’s also a competition – to take these amusing selfies! 😀 To find out more and on how to take part, click here: #FrogFace
A more elaborate activity for today’s 30 Days Wild 🙂
What I like about the 30 Days Wild campaign is that we have the freedom to do anything wildlife related (preferably outdoors) that we can think of. You don’t have to stick with what is in the booklet, as it’s a guide/suggestion on what we could do – to make it easier for us to do all 30 days.
This morning I had an impromptu tour of some lovely gardens at a National Trust property in rural Wolverhampton – Moseley Old Hall! A modest but beautiful place, with a very homely feel – I highly recommend that you visit 😀 My friend Gary is the gardener there, and he kindly allowed me to borrow a few things from his shed to help with today’s Random Act of Wildness.
Today I’ve done something that isn’t in the booklet, it was inspired by a Springwatch Unsprung episode – the #2MinuteBeachClean! The beach I chose to do it on has a high footfall, plus it is the nearest one to where I live, the West Midlands – so it seemed right I did it there. My trusty friend Gary was at hand to assist me again in making the video!
My rubbish beach comb collection! See video below.
Canned Wildlife 
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