Suburban – Page 5 – Canned Wildlife

Day 19 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 19, 2015Jun 22, 2015Posted in Challenge, Greenbelt, Local, Nature ReserveTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, Admire the setting Sun, Birmingham, Countryside, Frankley, Frankley Beeches, Greenbelt, National Trust, Rubery, Semirural, Suburban, Sunset, Worcestershire2 Comments

“admire the setting sun”

Today I chose to admire the setting sun. I had been at work, plus a couple things didn’t go to plan – so it was a nice relaxed way to end the day. I took these pictures from my friend’s flat (again, with my mobile).

You can see Beacon Hill, which is part of the Lickey Hills Country Park, from the balcony etc... — You can see Beacon Hill, which is part of the Lickey Hills Country Park, from the balcony etc…

You can't tell, but the Waseley Hills Country Park is in the distance. — The Sunset underway. You can just make out some countryside in the distance.

A few minutes later, and some how a bit clearer. — A few minutes later.

I then went up Rubery Hill a.k.a Cock Hill or the Quarry, to take the last of my photos.

You can just make out Rubery Hill/Cock Hill.

On Rubery Hill now, you can just see rural Frankley in the distance. — On Rubery Hill now, you can just see a wee bit of rural Frankley in the distance.

Without flats in shot, — Without the flats in shot,

You can make out rural Frankley, with some of the New Frankley semi-rural-suburb below it. — You can make out rural Frankley, with some of the New Frankley semi-rural suburb below it. The stand of trees to the right (which kind looks like a Cadbury’s Chocolate Button) is Frankly Beeches/Frankley Hill.

Coming back, down from Rubery Hill. — Just before coming back, down from Rubery Hill.

Thanks 🙂

Day 18 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 18, 2015Jun 22, 2015Posted in Challenge, Encounters, Garden, Local, PlantsTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, Birmingham, Bugs, Challenge, Encounter, Flora, Garden, Insects, Meadow, My Wild Life, Random Acts of Wildness, Semirural, Suburban, Worcestershire1 Comment

What Caught My Eye

For day 18, I decided I would take a picture of whatever caught my eye. The first thing that did, was a lovely Green Shield Bug! 🙂

A Green Shield Bug perched on my parents livingroom window.

Later I went to visit my friend Laura’s pet shop, CavyNoodle Pets UK – in a village called Rubery. The shop more or less has a Wildlife Garden out back, where various wildflowers pop up. The Sweet Pea below, stood out to me.

I forgot how large Sweet Pea flowers and leaves grow. — This Sweet Pea is growing wild, so its’ flowers and leaves are larger than the cultivated varieties.

On the way back, I remembered the Shinning Cranesbill I passed on the walk down to Rubery was very red! So on my way back up, I snapped a couple pictures.

It'd be really cool, if this whole path was lined with the red plants! — It’d be really cool, if this whole path was lined with red Shinning Cranesbill!

These particular plants are red in colour due to the dry weather – therefore are nutrient starved, shutting down/stopping chlorophyll production and going to seed quite early. The remaining sugars in the leaves give it its’ red pigment. In away, the sugars have caramelised 😀

Thanks for visiting 🙂

Day 15 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 15, 2015Mar 17, 2016Posted in Canal, Challenge, Encounters, Local, Plants, WalkTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, Birmingham, Canal, Canal Walk, Challenge, Encounter, Environment, Flora, Random Acts of Wildness, Selly Oak, Semirural, Suburban, Walk1 Comment

Today I went a 30 minute walk along the Worcester & Birmingham Canal from Selly Oak, heading south towards Bournville 🙂

I’m not against cyclists, at all, but it would have been a lot more peaceful – and easier to take photos – if I didn’t have to get out of the way of people on bikes every 2 minutes! 😛

A person on there bike in the distance. — A person on their bike in the distance.

Along the way I heard plops in the water, a couple times I hoped it was a Water Vole, but it turned out to be fish. I didn’t see much Wildlife, the odd Moorhen and Mallard – so I decided to focus on the flora I came across and just before I came to end of my walk I came across something I deem as special. Below is what I saw:

Urban art, with a crumbling wall and wildflowers - I think it looks beautiful. — Urban art, with a crumbling wall and wildflowers – I think it looks beautiful.

I love seeing plants growing out of walls, likes this Fern and Buddleja.

I also love seeing strips of Wildflower like this - Poppies, Horsetails and Daisies. — I also love seeing strips of Wildflower like this – Poppies, Plantains and Daises

I'm used to seeing this at Wetland Reserves, like Upton Warren - Yellow Flag Iris. — I’m used to seeing this at Wetland Reserves, such as Upton Warren – Yellow Flag Iris.

I had to pass under a couple of bridges.

Honeysuckle - one of my favourites, unusually growing out of the side of the bank. — Honeysuckle – one of my favourites, unusually growing out of the side of the bank.

And here it is again, this time growing somewhere more typical.

Forget-me-not (and Cleavers). — Forget-me-not (and Cleavers to left)

Just as my allocated 30 minutes was coming to an end, I came across this beauty below! 😀

A Marsh Orchid (I think). — A Purple Orchid (unsure as to specific species/variety).

Thanks for visiting 🙂

Day 13 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 13, 2015Mar 17, 2016Posted in Challenge, VideoTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, Challenge, Dance in a downpour, Random Acts of Wildness, Semirural, Suburban, The Wildlife Trust, Video2 Comments

It was raining, so I only had one obvious thing to do – “Dance in a downpour” ! 😀

I kind of had a routine planned, but I just went with whatever came to mind! Oopsy! 😛 I filmed it close to the entrance of a wood, with my phone sat on the handrail of a wooden bridge that takes you over a brook into the wood. There were dog walkers – hence the brief pause and glance to the left of screen.

Enjoy my sloppy “moves”, it is supposed to be funny… I look such a fool! 😉

Thanks 🙂

Day 11 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 12, 2015Sep 16, 2015Posted in Challenge, Environmental, Insects, Local, NestTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, Environment, Insects, Nest, Random Acts of Wildness, Suburban, The Wildlife Trust, Video, Wasps1 Comment

There’s the suggestion to “Follow a bee”, but to cut a long story short; I watched a few insects (no Bees today) after work. What first caught my eye was a wee blue flying one! A Ruby-tailed Wasp to be exact 🙂

Apologies for the poor images (phone snaps again).

The fly that caught my eye — Ruby-tailed Wasp – blue top and red bottom

Something larger caught my eye and disappeared down the back of the shed door, a Mason Wasp! Which I watched for a short while.

image-11-06-15-09-54 — Flies followed it back to the shed, and sat outside

Something landed on my hand and startled me! After all, I was Wasp-watching. I shook it off and it flew on to the shed door, which seems a popular place for flying insects.

image-11-06-15-09-54-2 — It was a Damselfly! It was brown in colour

A couple clips of the Mason Wasp:

Thanks 🙂

Day 10 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 10, 2015Jun 22, 2015Posted in Challenge, Environmental, Local, PlantsTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, Environment, Flora, Semirural, Springwatch, SuburbanLeave a comment

“inhale the scent of a wildflower”

Kiss-me-quick, Fox’s Brush and Jupiter’s Beard – all very cool alternative names to the above plant, that I chose to stop and sniff after work today – Red Valerian!

It’s a pretty good source of nectar for bees, butterflies and moths – like the Hummingbird Hawk-moth! 😀

To me it has a delicate fragrance, but that may depend on how old the flowers are. I assumed it would have a similar smell to Buddleia, the popular purple Butterfly Bush.

Just a short one today, thanks for reading 🙂

Day 9 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 9, 2015Jun 9, 2015Posted in BBC, Challenge, Local, PlantsTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, BBC Wildlife, Countryside, Flora, Meadow, Semirural, Suburban, The Wildlife Trust4 Comments

A relaxed day again – I’m at work from tomorrow until Saturday. I took the scenic route to a meadow/stretch of Greenbelt which is my location of today’s 30 Days Wild!

A long the way I came across Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Robin, heard Blackcaps singing and saw a family of Blue Tits – I even observed a Swallow flying low round a field catching lunch, most likely for it’s chicks.

I eventually arrived at my chosen ‘site’, where for half an hour I would read this months issue of BBC Wildlife magazine.

Where I sat and read — Where I chose to sit and read

I had Swifts screeching above me, Linnets fleeting about, various insects buzzing and jumping around me, plus the sound of the breeze through the trees/flora. It was great!

What I like about what I’ve read so far:

Suggestions on what wildlife to see, for example Puffins, Daubenton’s Bats and Harbour Seals (the latter being my favourite animals).
Advice on Honeybee swarms and some science behind climbing plants, with the main focus being on Honeysuckle (again, one of my favourites).
A newly discovered clue to the origin of language, from studies on Lar Gibbons in Thailand, Giant Tortoises preferring fruits of invasive species on The Galápagos Islands and a explanation on Convergent Evolution.

Thanks for reading 😀

Day 8 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 8, 2015Mar 17, 2016Posted in Farm, Local, Mammals, Walk, WoodlandTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, Beach, Countryside, Flora, Springwatch, Suburban, The Wildlife Trust, WalkLeave a comment

A Tale of Discovery

Yesterday was a very long day… The Beach Clean only lasted two minutes, but there was the early start, the traveling and finding somewhere with WiFi (the connection was awfully slow) not far from the beach – so I could finish yesterday’s blog and do a blog for that day – to share what I had done before the journey back home. Getting to grips with my friend Gary’s video editing software and waiting for the video to upload to YouTube was very time consuming. We both got home very late!

More positively; this morning I caught up on Countryfile! Which funnily enough was in Somerset for yesterday’s episode! I decided in the afternoon I would venture a little into the South Birmingham/North Worcestershire countryside (which I grew up next door to) 🙂 I came across three discoveries, one more exciting than the other!

1. An old brick bridge that is part of a Public Footpath – which leads from suburban greenspace into the countryside – has been cleared underneath, revealing it fully and making it a lot more accessible to walk under. The tree lined path that leads away below the bridge had been tidied as well!

2. Two flights of steps have been created/installed! On either side of Princess Diana Way – a short walk down from the bridge. You walk up into a meadow (unfortunately not pictured below) with the Farmer’s field going round it.

I followed the steps leading up the other side, to pass over the old bridge and come back on myself – to follow another Public Footpath which leads you deaper into the countryside, through an underpass to the other side of the M5 Motorway. I took a few snaps before that.

Field of Wheat with Lower Hill Farm in the distance

Top of the bridge with facing away from the farm — On the bridge facing away from the farm

3. I’m a fair distance away from the bridge now on the other side of the M5, I’ve just had a brief explore of Doctor’s Coppice and have come back into the meadow I’ve just walked across. The pictures and captions below will end the tale 😉

Something's hiding in the middle... — Something’s hiding in the middle…

Thanks for taking time to read my blog 🙂

Day 5 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 5, 2015Mar 17, 2016Posted in Challenge, Local, Plants, Vlog, WorkTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, Flora, Springwatch, Suburban, The Wildlife Trust, Video2 Comments

It’s yet again another workday, so I was pleased that The Wildlife Trust helped me pick something simple to do, by posting their suggestion to Instagram 😀

The garden at my house-share – North of where I grew up – is satisfyingly unkempt! Great for Nature and getting your feet into! So I went out and did Day 5 of this wonderful campaign there 🙂 But I didn’t stop there, oh no! This is moi we’re talking about 😉

I treated my toesies to one of my favourite front gardens, just up the road! It too is gratefully unkempt and has a fantastic variety of flora! ❤

In true form, below is another video awaiting your viewing.