South Staffordshire Council’s Landscape Department have commenced pollarding and other related woodland maintenance work this month on several trees along the length of the Wom Brook Walk. Specifically work will be carried out on:
This unfamiliar bird was seen regularly in Wombourne and photographed during the recent freezing conditions. It is believed to be a wagtail. However, it would be appreciated if anyone reading this blog could identify the specific species-is it an African Pied Wagtail?
Do wagtails winter in the UK, and then spend their summers in other countries?
One lone but fearless robin-photographed during the last days of the recent snow event here in Wombourne.
Unlike the more gregarious blackbirds and pigeons commonly observed along the length of the Brook, robins are usually observed individually, yet despite being outnumbered and smaller than other more prevalent bird species, their courage and tenacity seems unrivaled-pressing home their quest for food, undeterred by larger birds who try unsuccessfully to turn them away.
The usually camera-shy birds observed along the Wom Brook Walk appeared to have cast aside their natural inhibitions lately, due in part to the very cold weather-this male blackbird photographed last week along the Walk seemed to be waiting expectantly for food, its usual source trapped beneath freezing snow, and encased within the concrete-like ground.
The exhortation in the popular song, ‘Feed the birds…‘-epitomised in the Mary Poppins musical was never more important to the survival of local birdlife; apparently birds need to consume a third of their body weight during freezing weather.
Why is this important? Birds are a vital part of the food chain-during the growing season; they eat insects that damage food crops destined for shops and supermarkets.
By putting out some bird seed, ideally in a feeder, birds are then provided with an alternative food source, and thus their chances of surviving the cold weather are increased.
January
Thurs 21st Work Party
February
Sat 6th Work Party
Thurs 18th Work Party
Sat 20th Event: A Winter Walk. Meet 10am Ounsdale Road school lay-by.
March
Sat 6th Work Party
Thurs 18th Work Party
Sat 20th Event: Close Encounters with Crustaceans. Details to follow-please check this blog.
April
Sat 3rd Work Party
Thurs 15th Work Party
Sat 17th Event: SPRING WATCH 10am-3pm-at, and in partnership with WOMBOURNE LIBRARY
May
Sat 1st Work Party
Sat 15th Event: Anyone at home? A survey of the Wom Brook’s water voles.
Thurs 20th Work Party
June
Sat 5th Work Party
Thurs 17th Work Party
Sat 19th Event: A hunt for earlier butterflies etc. Quendale-first visited Aug 2009
None members also welcome to join in all activities.
For the second year in succession, parts of the surface of the Brook in Wombourne, South Staffordshire have turned to ice due to temperatures registering below -5 Celsius last week. Snow falling onto this ice has left parts of the Brook resembling scenes more reminiscent of northern Canada! Despite a welcome warming in the temperature yesterday, ice was still visible along the edges of the Brook.
Elsewhere in Wombourne, stretches of the canal have been frozen since before New Year’s Day.
The above scene has become a familiar sight over the last week wherever a slope exists around Wombourne. Perhaps one of the most popular venues for sledging within reach of the village is Pickerel’s Hill (apologies if the spelling is inaccurate), visible from the Wombourne roundabout on the A449 Wolverhampton to Stourbridge Road. The particular steep gradient there attracts many snow sport enthusiasts.
The above slope close to the centre of Wombourne is less challenging, but still attracts many local families.
Snow has become a common feature of village life for over a week now, with possibly more showers on the way.
It was forecasted that Wombourne would see snow and generally experience freezing conditions at some point over the festive period - unlike previous winters when such occurrences were rare.
Above is a recent photograph of the section of the Wom Brook Walk adjacent to Gravel Hill. To date, the Wom Brook Walk remains icy and caution should be taken when using it.
Many thanks to members of the Friends of Wom Brook, along with other villagers who regularly collect litter deposited along the Brook. Their efforts were visible this morning in the form of filled refuse sacks awaiting removal by South Staffordshire Council.