Ok, so its not exactly the search for the source of the Nile, but this morning I have switched rivers and decided to locate the source of the river Alne which flows through the Warwickshire half of my Circle before joining the Arrow at some point south of Alcester.
A Google search made it a bit easier, and pointed me to a square kilometre at the curiously named Pink Green. Driving up the A435 out of Redditch there is a sign pointing the way, but I have never seen anyone take it. Now I know why. The tiny road goes about 100 metres to a farm, where there is nowhere obvious to park.
In the end I turned round and went to Green Hills farm west of the Ullenhall turn off. From there I followed the footpaths to Pink Green farm to start the search. It was a very bright sunny morning, ideal for photography if only there had been anything worth a shot. I settled for a singing Dunnock on the basis that its a bird which tends to get ignored, and also because I recorded double-figures of them within a one km square for the first time.
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| Dunnock |
The habitat was on the dull side of interesting. Acres of short-cropped sheep pasture, and straggly hedgerows plus one small wood. A flock of 20 Meadow Pipits found it ideal, but other than the ubiquitous Redwings, Blue Tits, Great Tits, and corvids not much else was on offer. At least the farms dotted about hosted plenty of House Sparrows.
Anyway, what of the Alne? I skirted the Meadow Pipit field and found a ditch and small pond. This seems to be it, the source of the mighty Alne.
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| Such a thrill, the source of the Alne |
I plan to pick it up again later this week and follow it towards Tanworth-in-Arden. I can hardly wait.
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