Delta Ged, Volunteer Ranger @ National Trust Lyme Park : Week 54 21/01/2015

Photo Blog Week 54 - Wed 21 January 2015

Approaching the Park there was very little snow but as soon as height was gained through admissions the snow cover increased. The combination of snow, grey skies and mist creates an odd feel to the pictures many of which look like black & white images.

I was fortunate to miss the mid morning sleet and snow but there was an icy touch to the air and, as soon as out of the car, it was necessary to zip up, close gaps around my neck and don my gloves just walking to the Estate office to sign in.

The snow cover made walking more of an effort so even though my distance was a lot shorter today due to a late start, I was ready to flop into the car and head home for a shower and coffee at the end of the day.

An odd, cold but beautiful day.

route: The Stables car park; Estate Office (house); Main Car Park; Timberyard

Three grand Sequoias stand guard over the main car park

route: Timberyard; Mill Pond; Main Car Park; Drinkwater Meadow; Knightslow Wood

The wall by Crow Wood running down to the stream near the Timberyard complex is being renewed under a contract with an external Drystone Walling company. An urgent larger job where the finance can be justified may not be within the the resource of the Volunteer teams who have a full workload as it is. The contractor will work six or sometimes seven days per week and long hours to recover lost time due to weather. The same waller delivering this job built the scenic stone bench on Pursefield.

The old wall being stripped out

Close up view of the crumbling stone inside the heart of the wall

Snow resting on the frozen surface of the mill pond

looking past the front of the house to Lantern Wood and Park Moor fading into the mist

Nature's Artwork: Synchronised tree bending

Snow fight on Drinkwater Meadow

My Footprints: I have my Yaktrax fitted on my boots which made the day a lot less strenuous as I always had a good grip up and down hill

Fallow Deer drifting across their enclosure toward feed station

Knightslow Wood beech trees with snow in a narrow vertical strip on each tree creating contrast lines

route: Knightslow Wood; Bowstonegate Farm park entrance

Park Moor and Sponds Hill

Track along the bottom of the Moor passing through stock fence gate

Red Deer Moor Herd

A new bale of silage had just been dropped off by the rangers and was now circled by a large number of the moor herd. The group includes some magnificent mature stags.

This suspicious stag never took it's eyes off me

Two mature stags of around 14 tines

The number of 'tines', the same word as for prongs on a fork, increases with age and health. 14 would be an excellent number in the wild but in a parkland environment they can reach 16-18.

looking down the hill to Knightslow Wood

The silage can wrap into the stags' antlers as they eat but they also do this deliberately around the rut to make themselves look bigger and more powerful

Hey girls, look at my hair extensions

Huh, look at him with his bed hair

Hinds and this year's calves grouped the far side of the stock fence (they do have another bale that side but they can, if they wish, easily cross over this fence in a graceful flowing leap.