Photo Blog Week 26 - Wed 18 June 2014
It was a lovely day in Lyme Park today and nice to see children enjoying and learning. Kids are encouraged to be kids at Lyme and it's great to wander through Crow Wood and see dams in the stream, fallen trees being scrambled over and dens being built in addition to the play equipment itself with its walkways and platforms being explored to the full ..and the slide!
My earliest memories of Lyme Park as a child involved the massive slide in the old play area which is now returned to nature within the Fallow Deer enclosure. Mother's Pride waxed bread wrappers were an essential item for polishing it for a faster ride.
Today I spent the morning in and around Crow Wood and around the Mill Pond doing an 'off piste' litter pick out of the edges. I went down to see the Orchid I spotted last week as I'd been told that if I could get the patterns on the flower it could be identified properly. Sadly, it was gone. I'm not sure whether they come and go quickly but I more pessimistically suspect someone has picked this one individual plant.
My earliest memories of Lyme Park as a child involved the massive slide in the old play area which is now returned to nature within the Fallow Deer enclosure. Mother's Pride waxed bread wrappers were an essential item for polishing it for a faster ride.
Today I spent the morning in and around Crow Wood and around the Mill Pond doing an 'off piste' litter pick out of the edges. I went down to see the Orchid I spotted last week as I'd been told that if I could get the patterns on the flower it could be identified properly. Sadly, it was gone. I'm not sure whether they come and go quickly but I more pessimistically suspect someone has picked this one individual plant.
route: Timberyard; Picnic areas, Mill Pond and stream sides; Crow Wood thorough; Fallen trees and routes on hillside; Timberyard cafe for lunch
School party having built dens in the woods and enjoyed Crow Wood heading for lunch on the grass
Dams and stream crossings
Plant and Bug life in Crow Wood
Identification needs confirming as "Giant" Hogweed
Giant Hogweed, Cartwheel Plant, Giant Cow Parsley (Heracleum mantegazzianum)
WARNING: Children should be kept away from flowers similar to this with flat clusters of flowers as many are highly toxic and can cause serious rashes just from touching skin
Giant Hogweed, Cartwheel Plant, Giant Cow Parsley (Heracleum mantegazzianum)
Cuckoo Spit
This froth is a by product of a small insect, the Froghopper.
Read about Cuckoo Spit at geograph.org.uk
Nettles - careful!
Brambles - Blackberries later in the year
Yellow Flag Iris in flower by the brook
#identity pending
Possibly Water Hemlock or Queen Anne's Lace?
Flowers have a pink haze and leaves are solid spikes.
WARNING: Children should be kept away from flowers similar to this with flat clusters of flowers as many are highly toxic and can cause serious rashes just from touching skin
Foxgloves running up the bank near the Mill Pond
Nature gradually reclaiming a fallen tree
Common Rush (Juncus effusus)
I have always called these "reeds" but I now know they are "rushes". I never think of rushes as having flowers but I guess that's what these are.
Read more about rushes and sedges at nwplants.com
Across the Mill Pond toward the Main Car Park
Little Girl enjoying paddling in wellies
Two tots being introduced to the ducks and the geese on the Mill Pond
Nest box construction
Adults having a go after the kids have gone :)
route: Main Car Park; Drinkwater Meadow; Paddock Cottage; Cluse Hey
After lunch, I headed out to Cluse Hey and Park Moor to continue developing my round the boundary route.
Path branch to cross Meadow
The Cage over now think meadow grasses and tree canopies
Yep, that way, follow those sheep
It got warm in the afternoon and the sheep on Drinkwater Meadow have settled onto the shade
Darcy's Pond doesn't look so inviting today
Step stile out of the Meadow
Across the rick green bracken covered Cluse Hey to Middle Wall and Park Moor
same view as above continued to right. Higher parts of Park Moor back left.
Looking up to Paddock Cottage with a great sky above
# awaiting identification
Bowstonegate Farm on central horizon from ridge below Paddock Cottage
Cheshire a little murky today (Alderley Edge escarpment)
Manchester and other towns fading into the haze
Rock outcrop and the path into Cluse Hey below
Looking up to the rock outcrop
Looking back along path to stream crossing
Looking back from part way up first climb.
...and from summit (quite a climb that one)
Open country path across back of Park Moor (a taxing uphill plod)
Now high above the Park looking down to Cage Hill from the Moor
Red Deer (Moor Herd)
This group of stags were initially invisible then I noticed a couple of antlers low above the grass. They popped their heads up giving me a nice view when they detected my presence.
(I was a long way off, these photo's are taken with a telephoto lens)
Red Deer male and female are Stags and Hinds.
Mature stag with a fine pair of heavily velveted antlers
Two young stags with the mature one. Note the antlers of another just showing in the grass at left of picture.
Fallow Deer
Returning to the Main car Park, these Fallow Deer weer the other side of the gate from the main track through the Meadow.
Fallow deer male and female are Bucks and Does.
Fallow Deer antlers are "Palatinate", the have hand palm flat shape but at this early stage of antler growth this is not visible
White Fallow Deer Buck. Bucks come in all shades and this is not an albino.
Persian Speedwell (Veronica persica)
also known as 'Birdeye Speedwell'
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