30 Days Wild | Day 13 - going wild in Eastside

I've been rather busy this weekend and although I didn't get behind with my random acts of wildness, I did get behind with blogging about them! I spent a good chunk of the weekend at Supersonic Festival, enjoying some interesting and mind-expanding music. Supersonic happens in Digbeth, part of which falls under Birmingham's Eastside district, an area where there is much urban dereliction and also redevelopment. For day 13 of 30 Days Wild I snuck out between bands for a quick explore of wild Eastside!

I'd consulted my copy of the Flora of Birmingham & the Black Country - I wasn't that familiar with the bits of Digbeth away from where Supersonic happens, and I seemed to remember there was a walk around Eastside in the Flora. Turns out there is, so I took a note of part of the route along the Digbeth Branch Canal which was close to the festival venue. I didn't have long so I hot-footed it through the back streets of Digbeth and entered the canal via the busy Coventry Road. As soon as I walked down onto the towpath, the sound of the hectic road behind me faded away and I was surrounded by peace and calm.

My first view of the canal.

Despite its urban setting, the canal is a green corridor through the old warehouses and workshops of Digbeth. I didn't have time to look in any detail during my brief walk, but it is rich in botanical interest, and also bird life - apparently Kingfishers can be seen regularly there, and I saw Long-tailed Tits and a very shouty Wren during my walk. I'm sure if someone had the time to walk the streets and canals of Eastside on a regular basis, they might come across Black Redstarts, which I've heard whispers of in Digbeth (and have indeed seen in other derelict areas of Birmingham city centre in past years) - if they are currently here, their presence is on a need-to-know basis for obvious reasons!

Here are some more photos of my walk. I'd never been to this part of Birmingham before, and I would certainly like to go back for more extensive exploration when I have a bit more time!

Digbeth Branch Canal.

Digbeth Branch Canal.

Digbeth Branch Canal.

Digbeth Branch Canal.