Compton Park water feature

Bridge over the Graiseley brook

Pool with a brand-new wooden bridge over it.

The pool is on the course of the Graiseley brook, previously culverted, shortly before it joins the Smestow. It has been created as a centrepiece of the housing estate being developed on part of Compton Park in association with the upgrading of the Wolves training ground.

Fly agarics almost hidden under grass

Fly agaric almost hidden under grass

Fly agarics growing beside a footpath popular with joggers and dog-walkers.

Fly agaric almost hidden under grass

These were hard to spot under the grass. Others had been more prominent, so they had been kicked over.

Half-grown moorhen chick

Half-grown moorhen chick

Although this moorhen chick on the canal at Compton is half-grown, and should probably have learned to be wary of humans. It swam towards me.

Half-grown moorhen chick

Perhaps it was expecting to be fed.

Half-grown moorhen chick

Wild carrot flowers

Wild carrot flower

My ageing guide books claim that wild carrot flowers from June to August. This was one of many wild carrots by the towpath of the Birmingham Canal which was still flowering earlier this month.

Wild carrot flower

Bugloss flowering, October

Alkanet flowering, October

Buglosses are a group of flowers related to borage. The plant itself is sturdy, with stiff “hairs” to discourage animals from eating it.

The pale blue flowers seem disproportionately small (at least to me) for such a tall plant.

It’s quite common near to canal towpaths locally, and flowers for most of the summer and autumn.
This one, by the lower end of the Birmingham Canal, still  had lots of flowers earlier this month.