Jayne
@sacredwench.bsky.social
Of coal and clay, and Staffordshire red.
Nature, local history, landscape and place. Always birds.
Nature, local history, landscape and place. Always birds.
First light. Amblecote Road to Wychbury.
September 2, 2025 at 6:26 AM
First light. Amblecote Road to Wychbury.
Deep England/Defford.
The view from Rebecca Road.
The view from Rebecca Road.
May 12, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Deep England/Defford.
The view from Rebecca Road.
The view from Rebecca Road.
Elder, guelder, and crab.
May 3, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Elder, guelder, and crab.
This pleases me no end. Skylarks have probably always been at Ketley, it's just taken me decades to pay attention.
May 3, 2025 at 4:47 PM
This pleases me no end. Skylarks have probably always been at Ketley, it's just taken me decades to pay attention.
Ketley in May: a tangled, feral mess of a place. Heard skylark, and screaming swifts!! Crab apple blossom, ramsons, bluebells, meadow buttercup, hedge mustard, cow parsley. Wych elm, guelder and elder flowers forming. Hawthorn blossom everywhere. Bird cherry just going over.
May 3, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Ketley in May: a tangled, feral mess of a place. Heard skylark, and screaming swifts!! Crab apple blossom, ramsons, bluebells, meadow buttercup, hedge mustard, cow parsley. Wych elm, guelder and elder flowers forming. Hawthorn blossom everywhere. Bird cherry just going over.
Had a look while I was waiting for the kettle to boil.
It was commonly believed in the Black Country that the sun danced on Easter Sunday.
It was commonly believed in the Black Country that the sun danced on Easter Sunday.
April 20, 2025 at 6:35 AM
Had a look while I was waiting for the kettle to boil.
It was commonly believed in the Black Country that the sun danced on Easter Sunday.
It was commonly believed in the Black Country that the sun danced on Easter Sunday.
The wisteria is starting to flower. It’ll do the same again in July.💜
April 19, 2025 at 3:26 PM
The wisteria is starting to flower. It’ll do the same again in July.💜
Bird cherry (I think?)
Two lovely old trees in the hedgerow along the boundary of Ketley farm (long gone).
Two lovely old trees in the hedgerow along the boundary of Ketley farm (long gone).
March 30, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Bird cherry (I think?)
Two lovely old trees in the hedgerow along the boundary of Ketley farm (long gone).
Two lovely old trees in the hedgerow along the boundary of Ketley farm (long gone).
A different view of and from Ketley: Pensnett Trading Estate > Oak Lane > Baggeridge chimney stack on the horizon.
New/old landscapes.
New/old landscapes.
March 30, 2025 at 8:24 AM
A different view of and from Ketley: Pensnett Trading Estate > Oak Lane > Baggeridge chimney stack on the horizon.
New/old landscapes.
New/old landscapes.
Went to Ketley. Did a small trespass.
Coltsfoot, blackthorn, gorse, hawthorn coming into leaf.
Three buzzards in the blue.
Greenfinch, chaffinch, chiffchaff, robin, wren.
And best of all: singing SKYLARKS!
Coltsfoot, blackthorn, gorse, hawthorn coming into leaf.
Three buzzards in the blue.
Greenfinch, chaffinch, chiffchaff, robin, wren.
And best of all: singing SKYLARKS!
March 29, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Went to Ketley. Did a small trespass.
Coltsfoot, blackthorn, gorse, hawthorn coming into leaf.
Three buzzards in the blue.
Greenfinch, chaffinch, chiffchaff, robin, wren.
And best of all: singing SKYLARKS!
Coltsfoot, blackthorn, gorse, hawthorn coming into leaf.
Three buzzards in the blue.
Greenfinch, chaffinch, chiffchaff, robin, wren.
And best of all: singing SKYLARKS!
Dog's mercury, nuthatch, curlew country (a muddy field at Shatterford) three curlew in flight - lots of calls.
Also: CHIFFCHAFF.
Also: CHIFFCHAFF.
March 9, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Dog's mercury, nuthatch, curlew country (a muddy field at Shatterford) three curlew in flight - lots of calls.
Also: CHIFFCHAFF.
Also: CHIFFCHAFF.
Ash is stirring and I am cheering her on.
Rubbish photos but who cares. Signs of spring.
Rubbish photos but who cares. Signs of spring.
March 7, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Ash is stirring and I am cheering her on.
Rubbish photos but who cares. Signs of spring.
Rubbish photos but who cares. Signs of spring.
Black Delph: full wheezy greenfinch calls coming from the rowan. Best of the finches.
📷 Garden Birds (Ladybird) John Leigh-Pemberton.
📷 Garden Birds (Ladybird) John Leigh-Pemberton.
March 2, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Black Delph: full wheezy greenfinch calls coming from the rowan. Best of the finches.
📷 Garden Birds (Ladybird) John Leigh-Pemberton.
📷 Garden Birds (Ladybird) John Leigh-Pemberton.
Goalz.
Always here for the bosky gloom.
Always here for the bosky gloom.
February 10, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Goalz.
Always here for the bosky gloom.
Always here for the bosky gloom.
From Wednesday morning: nothing to see here - only the Stour rising as a ribbon of mist from the valley.
Every winter I wait for this.
Every winter I wait for this.
January 12, 2025 at 8:57 AM
From Wednesday morning: nothing to see here - only the Stour rising as a ribbon of mist from the valley.
Every winter I wait for this.
Every winter I wait for this.
Thoroughly enjoyed re-reading The English Path by Kim Taplin. Might do Tongues in Trees next.
An English (Black Country) path, and a local relic. I cannot wait to see what it offers up in springtime - every year there’s something new.
An English (Black Country) path, and a local relic. I cannot wait to see what it offers up in springtime - every year there’s something new.
January 7, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Thoroughly enjoyed re-reading The English Path by Kim Taplin. Might do Tongues in Trees next.
An English (Black Country) path, and a local relic. I cannot wait to see what it offers up in springtime - every year there’s something new.
An English (Black Country) path, and a local relic. I cannot wait to see what it offers up in springtime - every year there’s something new.
Always here for photos in books, especially when they involve Margery Kempe re-enactments.
Current read: On Mysticism by Simon Critchley.
📷 Margery Kempe re-enactment in her hometown of King's Lynne, Norfolk, 2021.
Current read: On Mysticism by Simon Critchley.
📷 Margery Kempe re-enactment in her hometown of King's Lynne, Norfolk, 2021.
December 29, 2024 at 5:53 PM
Always here for photos in books, especially when they involve Margery Kempe re-enactments.
Current read: On Mysticism by Simon Critchley.
📷 Margery Kempe re-enactment in her hometown of King's Lynne, Norfolk, 2021.
Current read: On Mysticism by Simon Critchley.
📷 Margery Kempe re-enactment in her hometown of King's Lynne, Norfolk, 2021.
He’s such a legend. I’ve just finished the first Merrily book and loved it: orchards, appletree man, folklore, so good. These two are next on the tbr pile. Remains of an Altar is set in and around Malvern. Have you read it?
December 5, 2024 at 6:32 PM
He’s such a legend. I’ve just finished the first Merrily book and loved it: orchards, appletree man, folklore, so good. These two are next on the tbr pile. Remains of an Altar is set in and around Malvern. Have you read it?
I did wonder Lisa. Maybe Lew Foley wasn't the first lion man of the BC.
Also, I like to imagine that stick is a divining rod and he's been out on serious business in the foothills of Clent & Wychbury.
📷 Express & Star.
Also, I like to imagine that stick is a divining rod and he's been out on serious business in the foothills of Clent & Wychbury.
📷 Express & Star.
November 23, 2024 at 12:31 PM
I did wonder Lisa. Maybe Lew Foley wasn't the first lion man of the BC.
Also, I like to imagine that stick is a divining rod and he's been out on serious business in the foothills of Clent & Wychbury.
📷 Express & Star.
Also, I like to imagine that stick is a divining rod and he's been out on serious business in the foothills of Clent & Wychbury.
📷 Express & Star.
I've spent all morning trawling local history websites looking for this photo only to find it was in a book on the bookcase behind me. FGS.
Anyway, found it now.
The Spout at Wollescote Dingle (c1890s). No longer spouting - it was culverted in the late 1960s.
📷 William Pardoe.
Anyway, found it now.
The Spout at Wollescote Dingle (c1890s). No longer spouting - it was culverted in the late 1960s.
📷 William Pardoe.
November 23, 2024 at 11:56 AM
I've spent all morning trawling local history websites looking for this photo only to find it was in a book on the bookcase behind me. FGS.
Anyway, found it now.
The Spout at Wollescote Dingle (c1890s). No longer spouting - it was culverted in the late 1960s.
📷 William Pardoe.
Anyway, found it now.
The Spout at Wollescote Dingle (c1890s). No longer spouting - it was culverted in the late 1960s.
📷 William Pardoe.
Black Delph, Black Country.
November 17, 2024 at 10:53 AM
Black Delph, Black Country.
I have the weekend to myself so I'm going in...
November 15, 2024 at 4:39 PM
I have the weekend to myself so I'm going in...
Ketley: Bird Cherry (Prunus padus) in bloom.
A dot on the distribution map for Ketley.
(Flora of Birmingham and the Black Country, 2013).
📷 April 2024.
A dot on the distribution map for Ketley.
(Flora of Birmingham and the Black Country, 2013).
📷 April 2024.
November 15, 2024 at 3:05 PM
Ketley: Bird Cherry (Prunus padus) in bloom.
A dot on the distribution map for Ketley.
(Flora of Birmingham and the Black Country, 2013).
📷 April 2024.
A dot on the distribution map for Ketley.
(Flora of Birmingham and the Black Country, 2013).
📷 April 2024.
Ketley: Meadow Waxcap, I think?
Any help with ID'ing would be very much appreciated
Any help with ID'ing would be very much appreciated
November 15, 2024 at 2:37 PM
Ketley: Meadow Waxcap, I think?
Any help with ID'ing would be very much appreciated
Any help with ID'ing would be very much appreciated