Friends of Hazelwell Park Bird Watching event Saturday 29th Jan

Friends of Hazelwell Park (Stirchley) are holding an event as part of RSPB's bird watching weekend... from 10.30 - 12.30 on Saturday 29th January. Activities will include birdwatching (bring your binoculars), making nest boxes for the park (don't think decorating is part of the plan - but I liked the picture), and other things mentioned on the poster...

I can't make it sadly, but hope you can!

RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch 29th and 30th January

Exciting things happening over the weekend...

It's the annual RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch, where hundreds of thousands of people across the country count the birds (or lack of) visiting their garden.

RSPB say:
"If like us, you love birds and want to help them, then the Big Garden Birdwatch is your chance to do something that really counts. All you need is a pen, some scrap paper (or, a printout of our handy bird ID sheet), and an hour to spend watching the birds in your garden on either Saturday 29, or Sunday 30 January 2011.

Then simply record the highest number of each bird species seen in your garden, or local park (not flying over) at any one time, and come back to these page to tell us what you saw.

For over 30 years, we've been asking our supporters to count the birds in their garden. During this time, more than 3 million hours have been clocked up watching and enjoying the birds that visit our gardens (that's more than 380 years!), and every year, some 6 million birds are spotted by people like you.

With results from some 280,000 gardens helping us create a 'snapshot' of bird numbers in each region, we've been able to see that some of our birds are disappearing in scary numbers.

We've lost more than half our house sparrows, and three-quarters of our starlings, and your results have certainly helped highlight these dramatic declines.

However, it isn't all doom and gloom - these surveys might help us spot problems, but more importantly, they are also the first step to help aid a species recovery."

As an RSPB member, I will be out in the garden on Sunday morning counting the birds!

Steve McCabe MP completes Thought Exchange

It's nice when an MP takes an active interest in the community they represent. So we were pleased when our MP for Selly Oak Constituency turned up at the Community Market. And left us some general thoughts of how he wants to improve the area...

Unfortunately we didn't get a snap of him looking at the market... let me know if you did!

Thoughts from Stirchley Community Market, August 2010

Wow, that has taken some time for me to complete. But I have now scanned and uploaded the comments received from the Stirchley Thought Exchange attendance at last August's Stirchley Community Market. They should appear in the photo stream on the right hand side of the blog... just click on it to see the comments closer up...

All 22 comments provided really useful feedback on the market, and about things you like, as well as changes you'd like to see within the local area. Here's a few of the responses:

"I would like Stirchley to have ore trees and plants, and less derelict buildings"

"I like how it feels like you can do anything in Stirchley"

"The high street looks a bit tatty, but that doesn't mean I want an enormous Tescos!"

"[Stirchley] is a secret, and what a great one!"

"[I would change] the road next to here (Hazelwell Lane).. those houses could be beautiful and yet they're all boarded up ;o( BOOOO!"

"I like the guy who wont move out his house for Tescos. I like this market and the library and the swimming baths building. And the coop."

"Build houses instead of Tescos."

"I'd like a tea and cake rooms"

"I like the River Rea and our friendly neighbours"

"I like the bowling alley"

"Against all odds, the community feeling refuses to die"

"There should be more cash machines"

"I would like a local car share club so people could get rid of their cars"

"I would like [Stirchley] tidied and regeneration. More information from the council"

"I would like more opportunity and support for local businesses to flourish - the empty shops are here, so are the creative people. Also, perhaps the reputation needs to be developed further."

Willow Herb's story

Violet's story

Mint's story

Bluebell's story

Creeping Jenny's story

Foxglove's story

Primrose's story

Strawberry's story

Shepherd's Purse's Story

Pineapple Weed's story

Stories of the plants: Aqueligia

Hello!

Not been in touch for a long time.... Been busy with uni work, and Stirchley Happening's film nights, which have been excellent! Great turn out to the last one... see their website for more!.

I was scrolling through the Thought Exchange blog and wondered why I didn't ever share the stories of the plants that were given away at the two exchange events to date... so here we are...

First up is Aqueligia...