Damage Explained. Oh dear! Deer back again.

Earlier in the year we showed a picture of damage to some of the trees in the park. 

At first we thought this was vandalism.  Then someone looked closely at the pattern of the damage and suggested that maybe Montjac (also called Monkjack) Deer were causing it.  There are many open spaces in Birmingham; and many of those are linked by a network of green corridors.  These corridors make it very easy for wild animals to roam through the city, and Montjac Deer have been seen in other parks and open spaces.

 

Montjac Deer (with permission from Sally Ilett, taken from Flickr)

Then someone noticed that the same sort of damage was caused higher up the trunks of some of the trees - too high for Montjacs which are not very tall.

This week the culprit has been spotted - damaging the trees.  It was a Fallow Deer (bigger than a Montjac) rubbing its antlers against the trees to rid itself of its felt (the furry covering on its antlers).  The deer do this at the end of winter or in the springtime, which is why we had first spotted the damage back in February.  This deer ran away, off towards the old canal and the cover there, off in the direction of Weoley Castle, before anyone could photograph it.


But the mystery is solved.

How interesting - 2013 with deer in the park again.  Back in medieval times the area of the park and the land all around it was a deer park.

Charity Walk in aid of St Mary's Hospice: 12th May

Weoley hill Village Council, in conjunction with Shenley Community Council, Bournville Village Council, Friends of Manor Farm Park, Bournville Sea Scouts and Bournville Village Trust are running a Charity Walk, to help raise funds for St. Mary's Hospice, on Sunday 12th May. It starts at 10 am and finishes at 3 pm and circumnavigates the Bournville Village Trust Estate. Anyone interested in joining the walk can start at Weoley Hill Village Hall or Bournville Green, for a small fee of £2-00 per person. They will be given a booklet with the route map in it and a place for it to be stamped at various check points on the route. Those completing the full circuit with all stamps on their booklet will be given a certificate.

Public Meeting

FoSOP encourage all park users to attend the Public Meeting at the Scout Hut on 22nd May (6:30) to discuss Sainsbury's proposals for the Battery Site, which is adjacent to the park.

Working party to continue the restoration of Harborne Wharf, part of the restoration project for the Dudley No 2 Canal. Sat 6th April 9am - 3pm meet at the Scout Hut on Gibbins Rd. Bring gardening gloves and stout footwear. Volunteers insured via FoSOP.

Spring is springing!

The annual dispay of crocuses along Gibbins Road.

 

 

 

Damaged Trees

If you see anyone doing this and damaging trees in the park please report it on 0121 454 7810 immediately.

Boats Return to the Lapal Canal

Anyone walking the path along the northern edge of Selly Oak Park in Birmingham on Saturday 3^rd January would have seen an unusual sight – boats on the Lapal Canal.  The boats in question were in fact a canoe and a coracle, belonging to members and friends of the Inland Waterways Association’s (IWA) Birmingham, Black Country & Worcestershire Branch. 

After navigating from one end to the other of the section that is in water a couple of times, the boating expedition turned into a work party.  Loppers and a bow saw were utilised to clear many of the overhanging branches that were obstructing passage of these small craft. 

One of the volunteers was Peter Fisher, of the Lapal Canal Trust, who appreciated the additional help continuing the vegetation clearance that he has been carrying out recently.  A full bin bag of rubbish and litter was also collected during the afternoon. 

IWA Birmingham, Black Country & Worcestershire Branch is keen to support the Lapal Canal Trust at the current time, while proposals for a supermarket development just the other side of the main road will affect the line of the Lapal Canal between Selly Oak Park and where it would join the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.  

Note:   Although the water pictured is shallow, park users should exercise caution near water in the park. These boaters had friends on the bank to assist them if they got into difficulty. The Friends of Selly Oak Park do not recommend boating on the disused canal as it lacks proper safety features and may contain hidden hazards.