What season at Sandwell?

Storytelling corner

Autumn is upon us. 

I was going to attempt my fortnightly walk yesterday but as, I am sure, you are well aware it was rather autumnal and wet. After cycling in and getting very cold, I decided to go for my wildlife walk today; yet another autumnal and rainy day. Instead, I embraced the rain, put on the enormous RSPB rain jacket and trundled out in my wellies to see what I could find.

Only a handful of plants are flowering now and, although it’s very invasive and I shouldn’t morally admire it, the flowers of the bind weed, funnel shaped and glowing white, did decorate the hedgerow quite elegantly. The hawthorn trees were all draped with glossy red berries, ready to feed the birds for the winter. After passing through kingfisher corner I headed down towards the marsh screen and came across the autumnal delight that has covered storytelling corner. While many of the trees still have green and golden leaves on, many have already fallen and have decorated the ground with a mix of reds, browns and yellow. It’s like a treasure trove of colour! I quite enjoyed looking at the contrast between the golden floor and the green leaved trees.

Broom

The paths towards the marsh screen are lined sporadically with broom, well, what I thought to be broom (see picture). A member of the pea family and a plant that I had help ID’ing some 3 years ago at university; but when trying to decide if it was broom I remembered someone mentioning something called mare’s-tail, so I thought I ought to check to make sure.... It was defiantly not mare’s-tail, but at least I now know that. Mare’s-tail is found in some slow running streams and lakes and it’s thin and pointy leaves come out of the stem in ‘whorls’ (three or more leaves arising from the stem at the same point).

oxeye daisy

In the garden I managed to find a few more plants in bloom, even a couple of oxeye daisies, muddied by the rain, were giving it a go. Some red clovers and red campion (which is a good one to spot most of the year round) were brightening up the boarders.

The walkway down to the hide is also looking rather spectacular, with still enough leaves on the trees to make it feel enclosed, the path is rather atmospheric, lined with the trees summer creations and full of colour.

I was hoping to find some mushrooms to ID this week but unfortunately failed. However next time I shall attempt a more intense fungi foray. 

I hope you enjoy your autumn walks as much as I do. Please post your findings and interesting points on here as I it may teach me a thing or two about what I might find out there!

Jazz