Week 62 25/03/2015 - Frogspawn, Acceptable Behaviour and Partings

Photo Blog Week 62 - Wed 25 March 2015

Varied skies today with some periods of gorgeous blue. It was fairly mild and I spent the day in my fleece though had to zip up from time to time in the shade.

After the recent warm sun, today's project was to see if I could find frogspawn. This challenge proved to be rather easy and I had several sightings within about 20 mins. In fairness, I did have an idea of where I had seen some last year so its presence was fairly easily discovered.

route: Main Car Park; Estate Office (in the House); The Cage; Horse Coppice Reservoir; Bollinhurst Brook; Admissions Hut

Kinder Plateau with dappled sun patterns

The Cage

 (Yes, OK, I know I've tilted the camera again! I think it's when I'm holding the litter bag and picker at the same time as the camera)

poor distance views today looking toward Manchester

Tree Planting

A lot of trees in the Park have been and are being lost due to old age. As you will observe in many areas, replanting has been absent in many years leading to a change in character.
In an ideal world, the estate would have a rolling renewal continuous over the decades but history, ownership changes, fashion trends and money mean that this rarely happens.

If you look at a 100 year old tree in the Park now, it saw the First World War, the migration of people to towns and industry, periods of depression, the demise of the land owning gentry families, the Second World War,  death duties and taxes, local council management and eventually the current National Trust management. Not exactly an predictable or stable century.

Tree planting at the North of the Park for future generations.

Frogspawn 1

First sighting rather disappointingly in coloured scummy water off the path of Bollinhurst Brook.

No obvious pollution source, maybe ironstone deposit in the immediate area?

These are just air bubbles caught in fibres on a rock in the main stream of the brook highlighted by the sun

main water course is quite fast flowing so no spawn here

but here in the corner of a meander in still water a good deposit of spawn

Lesser Celandine - A bright golden yellow that we'll see a lot of in the coming weeks

route: Admissions Hut; Elmerhurst Wood; Crow Wood; Timberyard

Bluebells are coming in large numbers to areas of Elmerhurst and Crow Woods

The conservation team have done an excellent job with the recovery of the path in Elmerhurst Wood.

No more lost boots or muddy coats from slips.

 

Changing Times

It's funny how different things more over time between being socially acceptable and vandalism. When I was a kid, it was seen as 'romantic' to carve your affections into the bark of a live tree. It was also 'nice' to pick a big bunch of wild bluebells from the woods and take them home to your Mum. Both these actions would now bee seen as vandalism.

 

The path South from Elmerhurst Wood meanders its way parallel to the main drive

1964 - Whatever happened to Kenny and Val?

Stepping logs - Fun but I think I'll take the bridge today (slippery)

These two ducks are like oversized Mallards and the head feathers iridescent Blue rather than Green.

route: Timberyard; Main Car Park; North Face of the House; Turfhouse Meadow

Coppiced Lime trees have a military gait parallel to the steps to the North Face

Hereford Cattle pt1

Those of you who have followed me will be familiar with the 'Jumping' cattle, the six Herefords who decided against moving back to comfortable farm quarters for the winter and learnt from the red deer how to jump fences. Several hard work attempts to herd them have failed.

Passing through into Turfhouse Meadow a 'ring of steel' suggest another go at capturing the Hereford cattle may be imminent

This young Hereford Bull doesn't look as if it has suffered for being out through the winter

Chillin'

more to come on this later on...

The cattle have company on the meadow, two Hinds and Calf

Frog Spawn 2

At the outlet end of the pond in Turfhouse Meadow in amongst the rush and soft banks I found more healthy spawn.

Nice reflections of this still day

Coltsfoot - another early flower

The youngster leading the Hinds off to explore 

A stunning sky over the Eastern Moor and Lantern Wood

Several strange round earthworks can be seen across the top of Turfhouse Meadow

this one with complex additional compartments

one of a pair of Mistle Thrushes

route:  Turfhouse Meadow; Eastern Moor; Knightslow Wood; Drinkwater Meadow; Car Park

Eastern Moor again

too nice not to record with the gorgeous tan colour brilliant in the sunshine

along the bottom of the Moor by Hampers Wood

Fallow Deer grazing on the new grass in front of the House

Fallow Deer in all colours. The enclosure opens again at the end of March.

wider angle to show context of full view

and zoom in above to Manchester in the haze

Brilliant spring green grass lit up in a clearing - Knightslow Wood

Fungi fest'

Fungi fest' 

this one looks like fine sawdust caught on flakes in the bark but each element is a small rubbery leaf almost white on the top and dark brown underneath.

The top diving board?

route: Stables; Turfhouse Meadow; End

Hereford Cattle pt2

They got them!

After all the previous attempts had failed, I'm told they came in fairly easily tempted by an ample supply of maize. Two had initially charged out again but eventually came back to the treat and the gate was closed behind them. When I passed them earlier they were in a very calm state and only just outside the gate so I think the timing was good today.

Tractor driver reverses this mammoth down Turfhouse lane - darned impressive!

Trailer doors closed, a sense of relaxation is apparent

and away they go. I just hope they don't teach the rest of the herd to jump of the farmer has problems

Ironically, it will soon be time for the cattle and sheep to come onto the park for the summer. Ranger Craig is however determined that if he never sees those six again it'll be too soon!

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As an aside, I am suddenly reminded of one of my favourite quotes which is from The Muppet Christmas Carol: "It's all right, children. Life is made up of meetings and partings. That is the way of it." (quote truncated)

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Today's track and profile

provided by runkeeper.com Android phone App.

total: 7.0 miles (11.33 km)  5 hr 15 min

This Time Last Year

Have a look at This Time Last Year  

Week 18 26/03/14 - Copses and Antlers