October 18, 2006
This aspect of the Wom Brook is viewed looking downstream in a westerly direction, towards the point where the Wom Brook completes its journey through Wombourne, where the Bridgnorth Road ( B 4176) passes above it.
At this particular section, the Brook flow has slowed, compared with where it commences its journey through the village (under the A449). This reduction in flow is clearly evidenced in the above photograph by the increased amount of plant life that has become established in and along this particular stretch. These colonies of plants not only provide a constant source of oxygen for the water, but also provide shelter and a habitat for a rich variety of small animal life.
October 17, 2006
Seldom is a walk along the disused Railway Track dull or repetitive. There is often something new to see. Perhaps it is the regular, repetitive act of walking, running or cycling along the track that induces a sense of familiarity, and anything that wasn�__t there previously alerts the subconscious to the very presence of a different plant, or the sudden movement in the undergrowth caused by a foraging bird.
Squirrels and wood pigeons are an all too common sight, but attest to the �__health�__ of the particular environment that surrounds us.
Few cannot be amazed by the gradual changes that occur along both the Brook and the Railway Walk throughout the year, in keeping with the different seasons. Particularly striking recently was this splash of red (see the photograph above) prominent amongst the predominant greens of the trees lining the Railway Walk. Although other trees are starting to shed their leaves, this particular tree is most noticeable due to the striking flame red colour of its leaves.
October 16, 2006
November 2006:
Thursday 2nd Working Party
Saturday 4th Working Party
Please Note:
Working Parties involve litter collection / plant and animal habitat management. Please bring gloves.
All work parties and events 10am-12 noon. Meet Gravel Hill picnic benches unless otherwise stated
Saturday 11th Family Event PRIZE-GIVING for the winning WILD ART
Entries + Mystery Animal Man
MEET at METHODIST CHURCH
October 15, 2006
Three natural occurrences have stood out along the Brook and the Railway Walk this year:
�_� The abundance of hawthorn blossom during the Spring,
�_� The prolonged period of high temperatures endured by all during July, accompanied by little or no rainfall, with the ensuing serious effect this had on younger trees causing some to shed a proportion of their leaves in order to survive, and
�_� The large numbers of acorns that Oak trees (see photo above) seem to have produced this year.
I have to ask the obvious question- is this abundance of acorns a sign of the kind of winter to come?
In other words, is nature providing a more bountiful harvest of fruits this year, so that our resident wild animals have sufficient food supplies, in preparation for a colder than average winter?
Perhaps this isn�__t entirely speculation on my part. I heard recently that meteorologists were beginning to revise their original long-term forecast for the coming winter 2006-2007, which had originally predicted a milder than normal one. This is no longer the case apparently from a recent discussion I heard on BBC Radio 4 which seemed to cast doubt on that preliminary forecast.
Despite our northerly latitude (in other words the distance of our country from the Equator), our weather benefits year round from the effects of mild, moist south-westerly winds blowing from the Atlantic, with the result that colder, icier weather often experienced in central Europe is kept at bay by these warmer winds.
Weathermen refer to this as the �__Gulf-Stream effect�__, which is a warm stream of water, some 50 miles wide which travels slowly from the Gulf of Mexico in a north-easterly direction towards western Europe and the UK. The section of the Gulf Stream that particularly affects us is called the North Atlantic Drift.
However, a report in the press last December seemed to suggest that the North Atlantic Drift was now 30% cooler than it was 12 years ago.
See that report by clicking here
Perhaps we�__ll just have to wait and see what this winter brings!
October 11, 2006
Green Flag Award Preparation
Last week, the Friends of Wom Brook committee met with the South Staffordshire Council�__s Landscape manager. The possibility of the Council working in conjunction with the Friends Group, in pursuit of a national green spaces and parks award , namely to obtain Green Flag status, was discussed.
Why invest money, time and effort in pursuing this award?
This award, if achieved would have a similar status in some respects to the grading awarded to UK beaches in terms of cleanliness and water quality. In the case of the Wom Brook, and the Walk along its banks, obtaining such an award would elevate and bring to prominence the standing and recognition of our wildlife area nationally.
In turn this would enhance the overall reputation of Wombourne, and provide recognition for all the hard work invested by residents in their local environment over the years, supported in this work by both the Wombourne Parish Council and the South Staffordshire Council.
Should the Wom Brook gain the Green Flag Award (essential development work necessary to raise the standard of the Brook and its neighbouring environment to Green Flag eligibility status would probably take two years of work) , then it would provide evidence of strong community involvement and collaboration, increased awareness of conservation issues, and evidence of a willingness by local residents to engage in developments to improve their community.
Hopefully pursuance of the Green Flag Award will provide the impetus for the Friends of Wom Brook group, working closely with South Staffordshire Council, to pursue other environmental awards.
Link to Green Flag Award
(Please note: the �__Wom Brook Diary�__ cannot be held responsible for the content of other websites, nor for the unavailability of those sites due to external server problems.)
October 8, 2006
As early morning walks along the Wom Brook and Railway Walk gradually become a venture out into the dark, possible opportunities of seeing local wildlife become less likely.
(official sunrise for today is 07:18, with sunset is calculated at 18:30-source BBC Weather),
Factor in the vagaries of our weather, and some of us are only left with the weekends when we might have a chance of seeing one of the species advertised on the Gravel Hill Interpretation Board (there’s a photograph of this board on the Wom Brook Diary’s Main Page, contained within the banner photographs).
It was very encouraging to hear from other committee members, during last week’s monthly meeting of the Friends of Wom Brook, that a Kingfisher had been seen several times flying along a section of thee Brook, and that most elusive rodent, the water vole, had also been spotted in the Gravel Hill area. Perhaps these species are unlikely to put in early morning appearances, as these often coincide with increased periods of human activity, with greater numbers of dog-walkers, runners and cyclists out and about.
Instead, these animals wait until relative peace and tranquillity return to the Wom Brook, namely during the middle part of the day.