DOWN TO EARTH in The City

Highbury Park and neighbours - wooded Wooded Highbury The term 'replete' has recently been used in reference to the wildlife provision at Highbury, and whilst the park can boast a healthy list of trees and bird life and perhaps reasonable opportunity for invertebrates, there is certainly room for enhancement and improvement in this regard. The park is jealously viewed and guarded by its regular visitors and protest quickly develops as changes occur - for example recently planted hedges were met with anxiety and vandalism, new desire lines are seen as trespass and the recently announced proposal to improve the tarmac surfacing for cyclists was greeted with the following- https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/place/bcr3-highbury-park-walking-and-cycling-route Consultation  Politics aside, if that's possible, an overview of the wooded fabric of the park would probably indicate a net loss of timber over the past 5 years due to ageing, and the need to 'mak...

From 'Woods in Winter' by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Alas! how changed from the fair scene, When birds sang out their mellow lay, And winds were soft, and woo ds were green, And the song ceased not with the day!  But still wild music is abroad, Pale, desert woods! within your crowd; And gathering winds, in hoarse accord, Amid the vocal reeds pipe loud.  Chill airs and wintry winds! my ear Has grown familiar with your song; I hear it in the opening year, I listen, and it cheers me long. To learn more about identifying trees in winter follow the link below to the Woodland Trust website http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blogs/woodland-trust/2015/12/how-to-identify-trees-in-winter/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wt_blogs_december2015

This old oak trunk is shown on early OS maps

From Kings Heath Park Throughout the Rea Valley, Mistletoe can be seen at Kings Heath Park (Lime on Vicarage Road), Highbury Park (Poplar), Moor Green Lane (Robinia), near Holders Pavilion (Rowan) and within the grounds of St Edwards RC School at Greenlands Road (Poplar TBC), Selly Park; a Willow host on the banks of the Rea collapsed a couple of years ago, the cluster disappeared within days. However the  Flora for Birmingham and the Black Country,   suggests that "Atmospheric pollution possibly contributes to the scarcity of this species in B&BC....", although the plant is possibly under recorded, Mistletoe seems to be increasingly present throughout the Rea Valley,  the tree lined corridor may filter air pollution more effectively.  - this sprig was taken from a broken cluster at Kings Heath Park 1900 postcard This cluster is on a Robinia at Moor Green Lane Richard Mabey's Flora Britannica informs us that Mistletoe is one of the "last surv...

Birmingham &Black Country Wildlife Trust 'Wildlife Focus' Candlesnuff   "Fungi grow on rotting matter, providing a complex system of nutrients for healthy woods" (Fungi images by Terry Quinn) Improved plantations

A Raven and Buzzard were spotted at Highbury Park on 16th December and both birds are regularly seen within the Rea Valley A rare sighting Mixed flocks of Tits and large gatherings of roosting Magpies are noticeable at this time of year as well as small flocks of Ringed Necked Parakeets. However the most noticeable birds at Highbury are the Carrion Crows together with lesser numbers of Jackdaws. The Corvid depicted above has not yet been spotted  Story trees Ludwig Munthe

Highbury 16/12/2016 Alf Dimmock Facebook activity 6 hrs · In the woods today at Highbury — in Birmingham, United Kingdom . Tag PhotoEdit LikeCommentShare Helen Baglee , Yolanda Ru , Terry Quinn and 3 others like this. 1 share Comments David Ps How's the treetop walkway going? Activity on Facebook Like · Reply · 5 hrs David Ps By the way, Highbury Orchard Community aim to do a bit more tree planting there tomorrow afternoon (1-3) for our Stick Around scheme, and on Sunday afternoon we're having a late afternoon cake & mulled juice celebration of the arriving solstice. Anyone wanting to join in can follow us on here, or get in touch by other means. Including just showing up! Like · Reply · 2 · 5 hrs · Edited Liz Wright 4PM for cake and juice. 1PM for work if you fancy it. Yolanda Ru replied · 3 Replies · 4 hrs another fair coppice Alf Dimmock 6 hrs · Another fair coppice — in Birmingham, United K...