DOWN TO EARTH in The City

4.45 am looking east over Cannon Hill Park A cool morning but not unpleasantly so, and dry. At precisely 5.00 am a north westerly breeze blows by adding some discomfort.   5 of us wait at the gates, expecting more and  thinking most have overslept - often the case with dawn chorus promises. 30 more eargerly awaiting souls are inside the gates - we meet up and early morning greetings are made. 'The Dawn' is a somewhat primitive time of day- and what a strange moment and place to meet, yet, although we mostly know each other, we are briefly strangers in the twilight -  Sunrise by Sahira   Dawn has no precise time, we figured, and is dependent on weather conditions; if the sky is full of dark clouds the daybreak may be thwarted for a while.  By 5.15 am the day began to break, leading me to think that perhaps dawn is from the moment the light changes until Sunrise, which is predictable and today it was precisely 5.54 am photo by Sahira "We are here t

The Ten Acres site is a historic backwater on the west bank of River Rea at Stirchley; a seemingly 'unloved' area with no immediate neighbouring human community, although, somewhat contradictory, a much loved site by those in the know. In terms of wildlife, Ten Acres is a veritable haven, with much of the site receiving little in the way of footfall or disturbance - a single, unkempt and at times muddy path being the only option of traverse, with thorny blackthorn either side keeping walkers on track. Therefore there is little 'off the beaten track' exploitation. East side of the River Rea East bank -  On the east side of the river we have another largely undisturbed swathe of land, containing grassland scrub and tall herbaceous vegetation, together with a number of planted fruit trees. Bullfinches thrive here, feeding on the early spring blossoms. The site as a whole (east and west of river) is therefore rich in both plant and animal species, and a great

A Random mix of images from the Rea Valley, past and present - make of them what you will - there's not always a specific theme, other than - the natural aspect of the area changes over time observation of small details a world on our doorstep discovery  biodiversity people  together with a few urban gems, many of which will never get a mention -  18th century River Rea near Digbeth- a big sweep on the river in those days rendered the land to the left vulnerable to flooding - 'Floodgate Street' is in that vicinity. Ten Acres, Stirchley, Butterbur and Cow Parsley with a central sprig of Eucalyptus Greater burnet on the banks of the Rea at Ten Acres The guillotine lock at Lifford Lane Coppice Regrowth at Moor Green Mistletoe seems to be on the increase in the Rea Valley area, and we're encouraging people to send records to Eco Record http://www.ecorecord.org.uk Spanish bluebells with Snowberry compliment between the CHP meadow an