Week 4 04/12/14 - East & West inc' Park Moor and Deer

Photo Blog Week 4 - Wed 4 Dec 2013

The leaves have now dropped from the avenue in front of the hall leaving the wonderful winter silhouettes

Statue on the roof of the hall stark against a moody sky

A hint of a rainbow showing that it's raining over toward Kinder. Fortunately it passed to the East and I stayed dry

Panorama North from near East gate with mixed skies. The Cage can be seen near the left

The sun spreading into the top of Lantern Wood

Moss covered stumps looking like little green furry animals

Manchester International Airport has a very large plane on the runway (telephoto)

Looking down from Park Moor over the Hall and Gardens with Manchester behind

Park Moor looking along the ridge to Sponds Hill from below Bow Stones

The Rangers' trailer has just dropped off a roll of silage for the deer

The Park was to be closed the following day as high winds were forecast. You wouldn't want to be near one of these when it comes down.

Fallow Deer

Fallow deer are a Mediterranean species and in winter are allowed privacy in the locked off sanctuary where there is shelter. They are fed several times a week to maintain their strength through the winter
Male Fallow deer are 'Bucks' and the female is a 'Doe'. Red deer are 'Stags' and 'Hinds'.

Notice the antlers which are 'palatinate', the have flat palm like form rather that the 'spiky' antlers of the Red Deer. .

Fallow deer come in several colours.

A Doe in the foreground with a young buck with small antlers

This white buck is quite normal, it is not albino.

Another Fallow deer buck, this time a fawn colour.

And finally a dark grey buck.

Looking across the Western park from above The Knott car park to Cage Hill and out to the Pennines

Chillin' Stag

Red deer stags near The Knott car park. Antlers outlined nicely against the sky.

Looking back to Bow Stones across Park Moor from Paddock Cottage

Paddock Cottage (and my shadow)

View West with Alderley Edge escarpment. Frodsham escarpment can be seen on the horizon about 2/3 across to the right like distant image of Alderley. Beyond Frodsham, on  a clear day, the Welsh hills can be seen.

Progress on the dry stone bench

Dappled woodland on the track from West Park Gate

Volunteer Dry Stone Walling team hard at work on the boundary wall. This particular job is renewing 400m of wall in which the mud-stone is crumbling away.

View of the hall as approaching visitors would have seen it in it's hey day. The main road connection from the A6 at Disley is quite recent.