Well after the succes of volume 1 of this series I was eager to get back out there spotting more birds. I’ve been working on this since March 2023 so at long last, here goes.

The Kingfisher, Birdbrook Road, Old Oscott, Birmingham.

On the last Summer Great Barr pub crawl with Kina and Sharon. Andy threw in a curve ball whilst outside The Old Horns. He’d planned and announced the route but now he was offering two other pubs. I forget the first but the second flew out at me. The Kingfisher. A chance to get another bird under my belt could not be turned down.

On entry there was a sign above the bar saying “Kyme and Slim welcome you”. Isn’t that Eminem and his wife? Andy went up the bar so me and Kina went exploring like people on an episode of Come Dine With Me. We found a customer free room with a mossiv birdcage containing a macaw called Otis. It was nice to spot a bird while doing a blog about bird spotting. I don’t know if macaws talk like parrots do but I spoke more than he did and I’m normally shy when meeting birds.

The weather was nice so we sat outside so I didn’t really get a proper feel of this place but it certainly felt like the me pub of the area.

The Three Pigeons, 1 South Parade, Halifax.

This pub was the main reason I visited Halifax in March 23, just so I could include it in this blog and it was well worth it. A magnificent looking pub from the outside and wonderful inside. I was laid back about getting off the coach and then had to take photos so I was last in and behind quite a queue which was fine as it gave me chance to go exploring.

It has 5 different rooms, one that contained a sole drinker who eyed me suspiciously as I entered, one with a tv which was broadcasting The Ashes via BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. Another room had a dartboard whilst the back room had a nice display of 3 Pigeon silhouettes. The last room was by now full of my fellow day trippers so I grabbed a pint and a hog roast pork pie and looked for a seat. The suspicious man had gone so I sat in there.

The beer was good, pork pie great, it was friendly and welcoming, well apart from that one lad. An architecturally brilliant pub inside and out. Needless to say that with those attributes if it was in Walsall, the council would have come up with a bizarre reason to flatten it years ago.

The Pup And Duckling, 1 Hatchford Brook Road, Olton, Solihull.

Limited hours micro pub that came to my attention when a visiting fan to Solihull Moors mentioned it on Twitter. I checked it out on Pubs Galore and saw some reviewers say how unwelcoming the landlord is and that he and his mates make no attempt to engage in conversation with visitors. This I can cope with. More of this should be happening.

It was a cold miserable November evening. Woza had picked me up straight after Walsall’s dismal home draw with Forest Green and after that I was ready to drink anything. Fortunately more green action of the day was on offer, this time Green Duck Brewery and a 4.2% beer called Origin.

I was ravenous, the plan had been to grab a McDonalds after the game but that didn’t happen so I dived on a well filled ham cob. I was presented with a card reader so assumed I had to pay by plastic which I don’t like to do. I’m from the 1970’s so like to pay by cash. I messed up and put my card completely on the wrong place and had to be told where to put it by the pleasant barmaid. I apologised and said “I’m crap with technology” which got a laugh from her.

The beer was epic and the cob was amazing. Why do cobs in pubs taste so good but when you make them at home with the same ingredients they are shit? That’s one for the boffins.

We only stayed for one as it was Woza’s birthday evening so we got back to Rushall so he could park up and get supping. I grabbed a cob for the road before departure and it was £3.50. I might not have bothered had it known it was that much but it was worth it. Woza commented “They were £3.50? No wonder the basket was full. So you’ve spent £7 on cobs? Your curry later will only be £8”. Put it like that it does seem excessive. Had they been say £1.50 I may have followed the one for the road with one for the car park, one for the double yellow lines and one for the pot holes.

It was a good pub, it was very busy and the lady who sat at the next table was only there a minute before moving. “At least you aint lost the art of scaring the women away” was Woza’s assessment.

I recommend this place highly.

The Black Eagle, 16 Factory Road, Hockley Birmingham.

Fast forward to this week. It was the day after the Euro 2024 final and I was off work. I needed a pick me up so I grabbed one of those tram/train/bus day tickets and headed to New Street. I’ve never caught the tram from outside there so today was a first and it was Soho Benson Road here I come. The Black Eagle is a short stroll away from that stop and I was soon there.

I’ve only been in this pub once and that was I think on pub challenge 2 back in 2015. It’s always been a renowned real ale pub so I was eager to see what they had gone on.

One pump clip really caught my eye with it’s design. Shindig by Wye Valley. I love their beers but this was a new one on me. Sold to the bald man with the Walsall accent. Unfortunately though it wasn’t playing nicely. She pulled and pulled but all that happened was she got a couple of splurts of it on her top.

I was offered HPA or Butty Bach and chose the former. The pub was deserted save for 3 other customers who were still in a gloomy mood from the night before talking about assisted dying, dementia and a condition which causes all of your hair to fall out. Yeah cheers, I must have caught that at 17.

I only had th one pint. I headed for the loo and the barmaid commented on my Weird Science t-shirt which was a good end to the visit.

Hen & Chickens, 27 Constitution Hill, Birmingham.

It was still the same Monday. I thought I might as well kill two birds with one stone, or one daysaver if you please. Two stops down the Metro line from The Black Eagle, this place is near St Paul’s stop and situated in a very fine looking building. I’d only been in this place once before as well but that time it was standing room only. This time only two tables were occupied but the others all had reserved signs on them. I grabbed a pint and stood there looking lost. Fortunately a customer took pity on me and asked the barmaid if I could sit at a table and she said yes.

The tv was showing a 1990’s music channel and as I returned to the table with a menu All I Wanna Do by Dannii Minogue was just starting. This is my favourite Dannii song but I’ve not heard it in decades. This Is It is my 2nd favourite but I hear that every now and again because the video is quite pleasing on the eye. Now are you going to go all Ken Bruce on me and want me to name a third song by her? It’s guess work but I’ll say Love & Kisses or Who Do You Love Now?

I tried to peruse the menu but the video was proving too distracting so I just opted for Chicken Tikka Massala with a cheese naan (£17.50). I walked back up the bar singing along as normal and as the barmaid processed my order it reached the chorus. “All I wanna do, all I wanna do, all I wanna do is touch you.” Fair play to the barmaid, she didn’t seem to mind and even called me darling.

A sign on the wall said “try our tandoori king prawns” and they leapt out at me from the menu but when I saw the cost of £17.95 they leapt back. I will have them one day but only on a special occasion.

The food came quickly and was really good, the music great with maybe only Around The World by Daft Punk bringing things down a bit.

Really good visit this. Barmaind and fellow customers friendly, great food and a beer I’d not had before.

I was soon back at the tram stop. I’m no eavesdropper but I couldn’t help hear a phone conversation by a lass who is clearly having just as much luck with her love life as I am. I could still hear her on the tram when she was in the next part of the carriage. “How can I approach him when he doesn’t even look at me?” and “I went to the toilet and when I got back he’d moved to the back of the room” where the two lines I remember. I should have asked if she likes tandoori king prawns and missing Walsall FC goals on a regular basis.

That’s it for this edition. I would say that there will be a volume 3 of this but given how long this one has taken, don’t hold your breath.