Ducks and Squirrels- an afternoon at West Park

As part of our new Black Country Healthy Living Project funded by Heart of England, 

we will do a series of walks. 

Why walking? 

Walking shows that ‘Physical activity has a huge potential to enhance our well-being. Even a short burst of 10 minutes of brisk walking increases our mental alertness, energy and positive mood. Participation in regular physical activity can increase our self-esteem and can reduce stress and anxiety.’ www.mentalhealth.org.uk

Our first one took place in the beautiful West Park in the heart of Wolverhampton. 

The West Park was opened on 6th June 1881- before it became a park, it was a racecourse called Broad Meadows (1825)! 

 

We started with a gentle stroll, chatting away when we spotted a grey squirrel which often can be spotted around the park mainly in the daytime. 

We stopped at one of the scenic lakes populated by the many varieties of birds,

some of us were kind enough to bring some food for them and enjoyed spotting what kind of birds they were. 

After an hour of walking around the park, we finished at the tearooms where we had a hot drink and a lovely chat! 

 

We would like to thank Heart of England for funding this project and keep an eye out for more walks coming up soon! 

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If you plan a trip to visit the ducks, here are some food tips-

cracked corn, oats, rice, birdseed, frozen peas, chopped lettuce/ spinach/ kale, sliced grapes

No bread please- this is similar to eating too much sugar

which is not good for ducks and other birds.

Do not try to feed the squirrels- they are not that friendly.