Spring is here, Honestly!

Despite the recent snow, Spring is well under way and the Valley is getting greener every day. Increasing day length means that birds are nesting everywhere and the last lambs of 2008 have been born on the farm.

Countryside Rangers.

The Countryside Rangers in Sandwell are responsible for looking after the Country Park, undertaking countryside management tasks with volunteers, conducting guided visits for schools and generally taking care of the park. If you would like to know how you can help, please ring Matthew Darby on 0121 553 0220. email matt_darby@sandwell.gov.uk.

Deer Again and again!!!

Regular visitors to this site will know that we have had sighting of Muntjac deer and a fallow buck in Sandwell Valley, but in January 2008 we had a report of a munjac seen on the Millfields estate at Wednesbury. Now is the best time of year to see these animals as they are tiny, not much larger than a domestic dog and can easily hide in flower beds. There are now more deer in Britain than ever before, so it won't be long before Roe deer spread into the West Midlands area.

Springwatch Survey

The 2008 BBC Springwatch Survey is under way. To find out how you can take part go to www.bbc.co.uk/springwatch Mammals in the garden

Birds are very visible visitors to urban gardens, but many gardens also have a wealth of nocturnal visitors of which their owners are unaware. CCTV cameras with infra red capabilities are widely available and cheap, so you could try setting up your own wildlife camera system.