It has been a year since I started writing my blog and although I haven’t updated the blog in a while with any recent posts my initial purpose for writing the blog hasn’t died out.
Since my last blog post I had been preoccupied training with
the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country which involved carrying
out practical conservation work at sites across Birmingham and the Black
Country, so if you happened to see a girl frantically chucking green hay in
your local greenspace last Summer then that could have been me helping to
create a meadow!.
My initial aim was to blog about my experiences during my traineeship
and attempt to write posts that wouldn’t bore people to death. What happened in
reality was that I spent time removing hay that I had accidently thrown on
myself whilst hay strewing in summer, tree felling happened in the winter and
then there was the diary sheet writing (don’t ask). So by the time I sat down
to write a post months had passed and I didn’t end up writing anything - what can
I say time flies when you are a budding conservationist!
Sadly my training placement came to an end in March (Do you
see what I mean about taking a while to write a post) I gained a lot of skills
during the year and met some wonderful people on volunteer days. I can’t look
at a pine cone or pipe cleaner without having the urge to make some sort of
craft item which even though I’m an adult I will still show my parents and
await the proud parent moment. I think it is fair to say that I will have many
lasting memories of my time with the Wildlife Trust.
I now find myself looking for my next adventure which I must
admit I find a little daunting but I am trying to keep my glass half full or at
least have a glass in the first place. The sound of birdsong, my first sighting
of swallows, watching goldfinches (whose plumage remind me of clowns) squabble
over the bird feeders and the emergence of wildflowers, are all things that are
helping me through the feeling of panic and being lost as I stand at the
crossroads in my life.
Spring is the season of new beginnings (blimey that sounds a
bit cheesy doesn’t it?) so I thought it seems like the apt time to begin
writing my blog again. As I sat in my garden writing this post a male Blackcap
flew into the cherry tree not far from where I was sitting which was a very
pleasant surprise then flew off again after he had seen me. Later it appeared
again with another male. I had to look twice because I thought I was seeing
double (I knew I shouldn’t have started drinking black coffee again). Other
birds that have visited the garden recently include Starlings, Greenfinches, Great
spotted woodpecker and a Goldcrest, as well as the usual suspects such as
Robins and Blackbirds.
On my afternoon walks around Swan Pool at Sandwell Valley I spotted
a Great crested grebe chick sitting on one of the parents back which was lovely
to see. As well as Cuckooflower and Cowslips in the grasslands and orange tip
butterflies flying by. I’m trying to use these sightings as cues that I can
reduce the number of layers that I wear (10+ not including the woolly hat) but I’m
not entirely convinced at the moment. I have also been dusting the cobwebs off
my woodland flora identification as like many other people I enjoy the sight of
a carpet of bluebells in a woodland at this time of year, so a couple of weeks
ago I re-visited Cuckoo’s Nook and the Dingle. Walking through the reserve I saw
a pair of Goldcrest collecting nesting material, a nuthatch and Long-tailed
tits as well as a variety of wildflowers including Greater Stitchwort, Wood
Anemone and my favourite Wood Sorrel, woodland walks are truly amazing at this
time of year.
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| Wood Sorrel |
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| Greater Stitchwort |
The last two Saturday evenings I have decided to ditch TV to
enjoy the light evenings and go for a walk, on one of the evenings I went for a
walk around Red House Park and just stood listening and recording the birdsong –
it was amazing. On Saturday evening I went for a walk along the Tame Valley Canal
it provided a different view of Birmingham and apart from the noise of traffic
when walking under bridges it was relatively tranquil.
So although the weather is a bit mixed at the moment it is definitely
worth getting out and enjoying this time
of year before the day length gets shorter again, I’m definitely going wild
this summer are you?
