Week 14 19/02/14 - Sun, Half-term and Deer

Photo Blog Week 14 - Wed 19 Feb 2014

The first Wednesday for a while on which my patrol didn;t involve a soaking and being wind blown. Started with drizzle and mist, 'mizzle', but quickly became a mild often sunny day. Half term for some schools meant that the park was more alive with people though you can quickly be far away from anyone by taking a short walk away from the car park.
Rather a lot of photo's of the Red Deer Moor Herd as I arrived when feed had delivered.

route:  Toward East Park gate to Deer Sanctuary; Break off to Coalpit Wood; Follow Wood and cross to Park Entrance.

The  Red Deer migrate around the Park toward evening. Tell tale tracks.

  A few stags from the Park Herd below that track in the Sancuary in front of Coalpit Wood

..and up on Caters Slack above the track, mainly hinds by the look of it.

Something is making a new home in the edge of Coalpit Wood

A blue sky over Cage Hill at last

 

The cloud is still sitting low over the Kinder plateau

route: Main Drive then Timberyard Cafe.

uprooted pine by the main drive appears to have taken of a service duct which is visible running through the root crown

route: Timberyard Cafe; Drinkwater Meadow; Knightlow Wood

The Timberyard Cafe and Shop doing good business today by a calm Mill Pond

 

Lighting was nice on the stone of  the ornate South facing elevation of the Hall

Grassy overflow areas of the car park are pretty wrecked with all the water fallen in the last few weeks

A Fallow Deer Buck well camouflaged in the enclosure from the gate just inside Drinkwater Meadow

Clouds and distant views. 

Hall and Cage from inside Knightslow Wood

route: Knightslow Wood; Bowstones Track - stop near Deer feeding before reversing.

The Moor Herd Red Deer

Ranger Gary delivered a tractor bucket full of Beet to the Moor Herd not far off the Bow Stones path so I hung about for a while watching them

Gary spreading the beet around. If left in a pile the greedy Stags scoff the lot and the Hinds and youngsters miss out.

Waiting and watching until Gary finishes

Nearly ready....

Looking over the Herd, the Welsh Hills can be seen in the distance today

OK, the tractor's gone.....

 ... let's get in there...

 

 video may not appear on iPad etc

The beet are sweet and are a bit of a treat as far as the deer are concerned....

another quick look over to Wales

A younster gets a look in..

 

route: Descend Bowstones Track to Knightslow Wood; along path inside wall; exit Wood; follow  path outside Hampers Wood; turn righ up steep incline along side Lantern Wood.

The Park is full of contrast, this woodland path only minutes after sitting watching the deer out on the Moor

Deer leap into Lantern Wood

route: enter and transit Lantern Wood

Den building is an encouraged adventure play activity in all the woods

first sight of the Lantern folly on approach path

Deer leap leaving Lantern Wood. 

This connection via Lantern Wood offers the Park Herd and the Moor Herd a route to mix if they wish.

route: exit Lantern Wood; descend across Caters Slack to East Park Gate track

 

route: return along track to Hall and Car Park

heading along East Lodge track back toward Hall and Car Park

People on Cage Hill

Almost back, Lyme Hall North entrance 

dist: 7.5 miles    time: 5hr 15min