October 31, 2007
The purpose of this category of the Wom Brook blog is to record some of the different types of plants found in the vicinity of both the Wom Brook and along the Railway Walk.
If you have seen similar examples of the plants featured, please leave a comment - it will assist us in both identifying the different species, and also their locations.
It is believed that the above fungus is a False Chanterelle
(scientific name: Hygrophoropsis Aurantiaca)
Advice-do not eat.
Identification Uncertain
It was found on open grassland, adjacent to the Brook, in an area that is regularly cut by the Council.
Here is a link to a website that identifies fungi:
http://www.mushrooms.org.uk/displaysubcat.asp?action=month&mid=10
October 29, 2007
The latest in the series of BBC 1’s Nature of Britain, shown last Wednesday night (24/10/07) on BBC1 continued to uphold the high standards of photography and presentation set in the first 2 issues. Alan Titchmarsh, despite having provided countless feeding opportunities for the bird life of this country during his many gardening activities, was still being attacked by them during last Wednesday’s programme!
On this occasion, in demonstrating the adaptability of many of Britain’s creatures to urban life, Alan revealed how city buildings provide ideal nesting grounds for what were originally coastal birdlife. This was graphically shown on the famous bridge over the Tyne in Newcastle.
Naturally nesting birds will defend their young-hence their aggressive flying directed at Alan, when he investigated the ‘penthouse’ area of a high rise building.
Elsewhere in the programme we saw other wildlife more originally associated with the countryside such as blackbirds, robins, foxes, hedgehogs and badgers that are now established urban dwellers. The main reason for this-the abundance of discarded food within reach of this urban-dwelling wildlife.
There were two enduring memories from last week’s episode-ducklings taking their first plunge from on high, into the ornamental water feature at the Barbican in London, and secondly, Miranda Krestovnikoff revealing the startling abundance of sticklebacks beneath the surface of a Birmingham city centre pond.
Next week, the work of the Friends of Wom Brook group in Wombourne is due to feature in the ‘Where you live‘ section shown during the last part of each episode of the Nature of Britain series. We believe that only viewers who are able to receive BBC 1 Midlands TV (available on Sky as well) will be able to see this.
October 28, 2007
Wom Brook clean-up
Thursday 1st November & Saturday 3rd November - this week
10 am-12 midday
Please bring warm, weatherproof clothing, and gardening-type gloves
Litter-picker tools and refuse sacks will be provided.
PLEASE MEET @ GRAVEL HILL PICNIC BENCHES
October 27, 2007
Those of us who were provided with an introduction to poetry at school may recall John Keats‘ work-’To Autumn‘-and the immortal line-’Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness‘.
All about Wombourne the leaves of many deciduous trees have long since been changing colour as they die and fall from their trees, carpeting the ground, and in turn providing additional areas for the local bird population to explore for food.
The word ‘Autumn’ (referred to more appropriately in the United States as ‘the Fall‘ ) is that period astronomically speaking between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice. These changes are a sure sign that Christmas is on the way ( 8 weeks away), and when it arrives, these same tree-lined areas will be mostly bereft of leaves.
The photo is taken on the Wom Brook Walk, looking east, and the path leads towards the Gravel Hill picnic benches. The Wom Brook is just visible slightly left of centre.
October 25, 2007
Thursday evening’s issue of the Wolverhampton & District regional newspaper-the Express & Star, featured a photograph of members of the Friends of Wom Brook (in the centre pages of the newspaper). The group were in the process of undertaking one of their core activities, namely removing litter and carelessly discarded items such as worn out tyres, from the Wom Brook.
Such items not only create an eyesore, but obstruct the water flow of the Brook, and in the process threaten water-dwelling wildlife.
The Express & Star also alerted readers to the Friends of Wom Brook’s imminent appearance in the regional feature of the current BBC 1 series, ‘Nature of Britain’, showing on Wednesday nights between 9-10 pm.
The photograph above shows members of the Friends Group in the aftermath of the photo-session with the Express & Star’s reporter.
October 23, 2007
You could be forgiven for thinking that this image of the Wom Brook highlighted a point where warm water entered the brook and caused the apparent ’steam’ to form. That however is not the case-for the last two mornings, the surrounding air temperature has been colder than that of the water in the Brook-and as you may well know, at the point where cold air meets moist, warmer air, clouds of water vapour begin to form-much as clouds form in the sky.
You may recall on Saturday this week that due to excellent visibility, water vapour from the Ironbridge power station could be seen 20 miles away, forming into what resembled a cumulonimbus cloud.
The above image was taken using a 2 megapixel camera phone, on Monday 22/10/07, from the entrance to the Railway Walk, looking in southerly direction, with the Wom Brook (obscured) in the centre of picture between both sets of trees.
October 19, 2007
Review Number 2:
The second of BBC 1’s Nature of Britain series was screened on Wednesday night.
The remarkable footage depicting a variety of British wildlife riveted attention throughout the hour-long episode. Especially outstanding was viewing the pre-nocturnal behaviour of the Norfolk rooks. (These are supposedly reflected in the ‘theme’ within the above graphic.)
Here in Wombourne we regularly have our own flying display twice a day-when we are reminded to look skywards by the sound of geese cackling to one another as they fly in their distinctive ‘V’ shaped formation-south in a morning, north at night.
The predominant theme of this week’s programme was based around agriculture-particularly how a growing number of our farmlands are becoming natural wildlife havens. Hedgerows and the grasslands bordering them are being left ‘wild’, in order to encourage the establishment of mini eco-systems. This practice has been repeated along stretches that border the Brook here in Wombourne. In much the same way as Wednesday’s programme showed, flora and fauna are returning-we have seen the return of orange-tipped butterflies and a species of flowering plant called lady’s smock, as a result of such conservation measures.
Alan Titchmarsh (the programme presenter) also showed how careful husbandry of dairy herds had helped re-establish the horseshoe bat-which dwindled significantly in numbers as a direct result of a farmers in the 1980s worming their cattle. This practice decimated populations of dung-beetles, (the natural food of that species of bat), which were unable to survive because of the chemical residue found in cow-dung as a result of the worming practice.
The regional feature of the programme saw presenter Miranda Krestovnikoff visiting amongst other locations a Worcester farm where bio-diversity is a long-established practice.
October 15, 2007
Last Wednesday night at 9 o’clock, the first in a series of eight episodes, entitled -Nature of Britain, was screened on BBC1. Apart from the fact that the Friends of Wom Brook are due to appear in one regional focus of the programme (on the 31st October we believe-thanks to the Wolverhampton Express & Star for unearthing this fact), the appeal of some top quality photography was an enticement to watch television that night.
Personally speaking, I wasn’t disappointed. The most striking images were those of a killer whale bursting to the surface off one of our coasts, scattering helpless mackerel like skittles before it.
Back on dry land, when not dodging very aggressive seabirds, Alan Titchmarsh explained the unique position of the United Kingdom on planet Earth, which coupled with the effects of moist south westerly winds which predominantly dictate our climate, help provide this country with such a diversity of flora and fauna.
Hopefully future episodes won’t disappoint.
October 8, 2007
On this coming Wednesday night, at 9 p.m., Alan Titchmarsh presents the new 8-part wildlife series - Nature of Britain. If the trailers are anything to go by, the photography should be superb!
We still do not know when the Wom Brook will be featured-so the advice is watch the series!
Click here for programme details on the BBC website
October 7, 2007
The scheduled first Saturday in the month work-party meeting from 10:00-12:00 had to be postponed at short notice yesterday, as inadvertently a guided tour to study the crayfish in the Baggeridge Country park clashed with this usual event. We are very sorry that three members of the group turned up expecting to offer their time and services.
We have re-scheduled this event for next Saturday morning 13th October-please meet at the Giggetty ford, at 10:00. Wellingtons, warm, weatherproof clothing and gardening gloves are recommended accessories to bring with you!
Many thanks to Anita and Sid who undertook some clearance work last Thursday morning.
Just as a reminder, volunteers and members of the Friends of Wom Brook meet on the first Thursday and Saturday of each month in order to clear litter, branches and prune overgrown areas along the banks of the Brook and the Wom Brook Walk.