Recent water life samples taken from the Wom Brook by the Friends of Wom Brook indicate that the water quality of the stream running through Wombourne is of a high enough quality as to support a variety of aquatic life forms. Amongst these species caught and then released back into the Brook were sticklebacks and bull-head fish.
In the photograph above, some of the younger members are assisted in the identification of their catches by the chairperson of the Friends Group, Anita.
Local wildlife photographer and film maker Richard Claxton took this photo of a kingfisher.
At the time, Richard was hoping to film water voles, and fortunately had a camera to hand to capture this elusive creature-rarely seen along the Wom Brook, and then only fleetingly, as a vivd blue streak.
The mostly elusive water vole colony have recently become more visible. The above representative from the Wom Brook colony was observed from the footpath yesterday. Unlike on previous occasions, this specimen paused on the bank for several minutes, before plunging into the cold water of the Brook, submerging and disappearing from view.
For three days in succession, solitary water voles have been seen feeding on plants or swimming in the Brook.
This squirrel could be anywhere-but it was first observed drinking from the muddy waters of the Brook this morning, unperturbed by the human and his dog watching. Throughout the process, even when the human reached for his camera, it continued to drink, watching carefully. As fate would have it, just at the point of taking the photograph, the squirrel decided to scamper at lightning speed up the tree trunk ( above, photographed), returning to the heights and the accompanying caws of alarmed crows.
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.
The title of this particular blog posting almost suggests a connection with one of Aesop’s fables! However, the antics observed didn’t in any way benefit the cheeky magpie.
There have been one or two sightings of a heron along the Brook recently - usually at dawn; then two days ago, one flew up onto the roof tops of one of the houses close by, and surveyed its territory. It had obviously ventured into an area claimed by a group of magpies. There then followed some interesting behaviour- three magpies literally tried to muscle in on the heron-smaller birds would have been intimidated, and would have departed the scene rapidly.
The heron stoically ignored the attentions of the magpies, who drew ever closer to the majestic bird. One magpie then suddenly darted towards the heron, and with lightening-like speed aimed a quick peck at the heron’s tail feathers, which only succeeded in eliciting a slow movement of the heron’s head in the direction of the rapidly retreating magpie. The big bird continued to look elsewhere, unruffled by the unsolicited attentions of the one cheeky magpie.
Like a child demanding attention from an adult, the magpie twice repeated its quick peck of the heron’s tail feathers. Having failed to attract it’s attention, the magpie lost concentration and flew off, followed by its two other followers. The heron continued its lonley vigil for another ten minutes, until it spectacularly spread its wings, before flying away into the wooded area behind Rookery Road and Redcliff Drive.
No doubt comparisons with everyday life could be associated with the scene described above.
The predominantly black ladybird photographed above was recently observed on a broken conifer branch found along the Wom Brook Walk.
It is likely that this is not a native species to the British Isles. This assumption is based upon infromation gleaned from the BBC website, which displays a very similar species, called the harlequin ladybird,, and accords it the title of ‘Alien Ladybird’.
Apparently it was introduced from Asia as a means of pest control-its mission to feed on aphids that were damaging food crops. However, the harlequin ladybirds didn’t confine their efforts to aphids-but also attacked our own native ladybirds.
Have a look at the BBC link HERE.
One of the Friends of Wom Brook’s primary aims is to monitor sightings of the resident water voles along the brook in Wombourne. The above photo was taken by Richard Claxton while he was recently videoing one of the Wom Brook Walk’s water voles.
Why is the water vole so important?
Water voles are identified by the UK government as an endangered species, with numbers rather alarmingly having declined by 90% in the last ten years. In addition to being hunted for food by predators such as buzzards, mink also prey on water voles. Dogs and cats can also hunt them, and sections of their natural habitat along the banks of the brook in Wombourne have on occasions been invaded by over-zealous dogs burrowing into the soil in an attempt to reach them.
Some horse riders, blissfully unaware that they are also in breach of a local by-law by riding their mounts along the Wom Brook Walk, permit their animals to erode the banks of the brook in giving them access to the water.
In an attempt to halt the rapid decline in water vole numbers, legislation was introduced in 2008 that empowers the Environment Agency/Natural England to impose a fine of £5000 on any individual or organisation found to be endangering either the lives or the habitat of the water vole.
Hopefully these measures, as well as actively conserving local habitats such as the Wom Brook in Wombourne will help to arrest the rapid decline in water vole numbers, and ensure Kenneth Grahame’s famous ‘Ratty’ (from the book, ‘The Wind in the Willows’) remains a reality and not just a character in a book.
You can view all of Richard’s video footage on YouTube-click on the this link