Week 68 20/05/2015 - Dull Weather but Still Amazing

Photo Blog Week 68 - Wed 20 May 2015

A mixed weather day which was generally rather dull and delivered a few periods of rain. First week for sometime that I have purely been 'on patrol' for most of the day rather than including survey work or introducing new volunteers so properly back to litter picking, problem spotting and photographing (subject to rain). The Park is amazing on bright days like last week but it always has an innate beauty in whatever light and weather conditions.

route:  North Face; The Cage; drop across Main Drive; Timber Yard; Mill Pond (Turtle Brew side); Main Car Park (zig-zag litter pick); Timber Yard

Looking toward cloud shrouded Kinder; the valley alone lit up by the sun

Rain heading my way from Manchester

Group of Stags passing time in the drizzle in the lee of a copse out of the wind

Varied stages of development of this year's new antlers

Rhododendron flowers

Cheeky Jackdaw waiting for crumbs at Timber Yard cafe

route:  Timber Yard; The Knott; Westpark drive; Westparkgate Lodge; Deer Clough; Rock Outcrop (over Cluse Hay)

Grass is growing well through the new all weather matting on the overflow parking areas

Woodland canopy displaying varied colours and textures

Still cloudy and drizzle across the sky behind the Cage

The indentations at the top of The Knott offer a good All Terrain Bike experience for kids

(Please remember that over most of the Lyme Park Estate off road cycling is not allowed)

Bluebells Along West Park Drive

The bluebells along West Park Drive were at their peak with large rafts of blue on the surrounding slopes and, if the wind direction right, filling the air with their heady perfume

Forget Me Nots

Greater Stitchwort  (Stellaria holostea)

Large area of Wild Garlic or "Ransoms" (Allium ursinum) near Westparkgate Lodge.

The air is full of a pungent aroma which can be unpleasant to some but usually due to not knowing where the smell is coming from. Once you appreciate that it is the wild garlic it is more interesting than unpleasant.

 The individual flower heads of the Ransoms remind me of firework bursts or sparklers

Nature's Artwork: Tree arc over the Wild Garlic beds

Poynton Brook tumbling through a narrow

Poynton Brook descending from Deer Clough

Looking along the top of Deer Clough to Cluse Hay and the Western Moor

New Bracken stems climbing out of last years crumbling remains

Tormentil (Potentilla erecta) bright yellow flowers shine out from among the grass

Ranger Craig's favourite tree in the Park is by my favourite snack stop at this rock outcrop looking out over Cluse Hay and the Western Moor.

route:  Rock Outcrop (over Cluse Hay); Paddock Cottage; Drinkwater Meadow loop including Darcy's Pond; Pursefield Ridge; Dipping Pond

Gorse on the steep banks looking into the depths of Cluse Hay

See very few of these pink/lilac bluebells

Jetty at the 'Dipping Pond'

(This location is mistakenly labelled "Darcy's Pond" in some maps and leaflets. The actual location of the Colin Firth Wet Shirt filming is the pool at the far corner of Drinkwater Meadow from the Main Car Park)

route:  Dipping Pond; Main Car Park; East Lodge drive; Turfhouse Meadow; Lantern Wood; Cater's Slack

A large group of Hinds on Turfhouse Meadow includes some young stags.

Young stag still displaying last year's antler set

Ooh! They'll do as antlers. The ladies will love me.

The young stag on the right has last years antlers in tact and was really working them shaking this branch about. Made me wonder weather it was trying to dislodge them; maybe they feel wrong with this year's waiting to grow?

route:  Cater's Slack; East Lodge drive; out toward East Lodge as far as new stile; return to car via The Stables, North Face and Estate Office (end)

Rather muddy engineering in progress installing a new strong stile.

Both sides must support attachment of stock proof fencing to retain cattle but the height must allow the  red deer to easily leap over as they move freely around the Park.

These 'Mystery' cages have appeared in several locations.

Within this measured area, the vegetation with grow unhindered before being harvested, dried and weighed. From this, the grazing value and quality can be derived to asses the terrain's ability to support Deer, Cattle, Sheep and wildlife in numbers and density. This is an established technique used in farm, park and moorland stock management. They are not a permanent fixture and will be removed after the end of the growing season when data collection is complete.

Today's track and profile

Survey (morning)

Survey final items around Main Entrance and Main Car Park

Patrol (afternoon)

Total: 8 miles (13.3km)  5 hr 45 min

Survey (am) 0.44mi (0.7km) ; Patrol (pm) 7.57mi (12.6km) 

This Time Last Year

Have a look at This Time Last Year  

Week 24 21/05/14 - Fluffy Green and Bird Song