7th January 2012. We joined the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust some months ago, but somehow have only visited one of their reserves – and that was a long time ago – see Diary 36, 11th July last year. So, even though it is the middle of winter, the weather is still so mild, that off we went to Hill Hook. Technically in Bimingham, it is on the far north east side of the West Midlands conurbation. The focus of the site is a mill pond. Its dam runs along the far side. It was a water mill of course, and was first recorded in the 17th century. There is an extensive history of Hill Hook Mill here: http://www.hillhooklnr.org/index.php?area=14 , which also covers its evolution into a nature reserve. The island in the pond is a relic of the original dam; at first the mill pond was much smaller, and was enlarged from the late 1760s.

At 7.5 Hectares (~18.5 acres) it is not an enormous site, but the area surrounding the pool is largely wooded, and thus provides a good variety of scope for flora & fauna. Elsewhere, stacks of logs and fallen trees have been arranged to decay naturally and provide a useful habitat for insects and rodents &c.

Creating a path or ‘ride’ through woodland helps the butterfly and moth population, which of course generally prefer the edge of a wood, but without isolating other wildlife species. Including larger mammals, such as deer, of course.

Just to remind us that this is the edge of the urban area where it shades into the countryside, we see houses: and most strikingly the two great masts at the BBC Sutton Coldfield transmitting station. The land here is quite high, which is why the site was chosen for television broadcasting. The station was originally inaugurated in late 1949. It was the first outside London, and since it has remained in use ever since – the original London site was later changed – it is the oldest continually-operating television station in the world. Normally there is only one mast; the second one here is temporary, and was put up in connection with the changeover from analogue to digital television in September last year. The main mast is 887 feet (270.5m) tall. The peaceful 17th century mill pool makes a nice contrast with the modern technology which looks down on it!