Post 89 21/10/2016 - Evening Lights and Roaring Red Deer

Photo Blog Post 89 - Fri 21 Oct 2016

Two recent evening visits to the Park deserve sharing. The sights of a spot lit House, coloured evening skies over Manchester and Cheshire and magnificent Stags roaring at dusk present a different view from that I usually see in the daytime.

Roaring Deer, Evening Skies and City Lights - Thursday 20th October

An evening visit to Lyme Park to hear the deer rut was accompanied by some nice skies across Manchester & North Cheshire.

greeted by autumn multicolours



the escarpment is Alderley Edge, another NT Property



The Lantern

Light fading and camera struggling with moving deer

Sun setting in the West

Roaring

listening



Manchester Airport tower centre and Fiddler's Ferry power station at Widnes in the far distance

light finding its way through the top windows of The Cage

some hinds at the edge of a group in the Deer Sanctuary

all the way across Manchester to Winter Hill transmitter in the distance



moody lit clouds over Cage Hill and city lights peeping through

And here some short movies of that wonderful stag this evening at Lyme Park alternately roaring and listening. Stags all over the East of the park were making their presence known and assessing the sound of the competition.

Sorry about the focus on the last video, camera fixed on the grass in front of me and actual light level was so low I didn't notice.

House and Skies - All Lit Up - Wednesday 12th October

A late visit to Lyme Park tonight to attend a talk was accompanied by the roar of stags as the rut gets under way.
Under moody skies the spot lit house looked beautiful and trees on Cage Hill were silhouetted against the darkening sky.

Walking down from staff car park looking up Cage Hill

approaching the house

The North Front is what greets modern day visitors but is actually the back door. The current access from the A6 arrived after the railways came to Disley.

Leaving later; the glow in the clouds behind is from North Cheshire and South Manchester light pollution.

Trees on Cage Hill silhouetted against the light pollution creeping up from Greater Manchester. The camera has actually increased the brightness beyond reality but the effect is the same.

 Have a look at around This Time Previous Years

Week 82 07/10/2015 - Two Different Days; Mist and Sun
A misty autumn morning and a blue skied afternoon
 

Week 42 22/10/2014 - Red Deer are in a Rut
includes some of my best ever Red Deer shots

Week 1 13/11/13 - Northern area
My first blog post after joining the Lyme Team as a Patrolling Ranger

 

Week 88 04/05/2016 - Workplaces, Spooked Deer and Springtime

Photo Blog Week 88 - Wed 04 May 2016

I am still not patrolling but after popping into Lyme last weekend with my wife and noting how the wild flowers were moving on with spring and the incredible fresh greens of the Beech tree leaf burst I thought I would put together some photo's taken on visits to Lyme.
When I visit to go out walling or to work in the office I often just catch a couple of shots on my phone or any camera I have in the car. What follows is a bit of a mix so I hope you find some interest.

Housekeeping Find

Clearing out memory cards I came across this magnificent stag coming over The Knott in December 2015

Varied Workplaces

 

Wallers heading through Turfhouse Meadow to work on a wall at the bottom of the Moor (January)

 

Patching potholes on Westpark Drive (February)

2nd Wednesday of each month the Wallers do other Conservation jobs.

My Walling Progress

I've been working with the Walling Team for several months now and feel accepted in the team but this has for a long time not been reflected in confidence. This week gave me a huge boost when Jerry and I were allocated to finish the top coarses of this repair and complete the coping on our own. It was most unexpected; I still feel like a newbie or rookie and this felt like someone saying, "We trust you", you can do an acceptable and safe job of straightforward walling without supervision.

Jerry and I had a good productive day in pleasent surroundings with a few laughs and an immense feeling of satisfaction as we left the wall completed at the end of the day.

My first experience of the satisfaction that comes with completing a repair.

100 Spooked Red Deer

A week ago, we had finished sifting through scrap stone piles in Knightslow Wood at lunchtime and I bumped into my Patrolling colleague Graham. Chris, our Lead Ranger, was concerned because the Red Deer had been badly spooked by an irresponsable dog owner allowing his dog to run offlead among them and I offered to join Graham on Cage Hill.

We found them on the northern slopes almost by the reservoirs. There were around 100 of them and they kept splitting and stampeding about. Many of the hinds are approaching calving time and this level of stress could be harmful; apart from this, they can be quite frightening to visitors.

We decided to very gently place ourselves in such a way that they would move south toward Coalpit Wood and untimately the Deer Sanctuary. With very patient slow movement we were remarkably successful in getting most of the herd back to where they only had to cross the dip by coalpit wood to get home. Only about 12 had split and they were looking quite chilled behind a copse by the drive, a position we both know they often hang out.

 Found Them!

This is one of two groups that kept splitting and charging in different directions.

Half the herd heading Left splintered from rest...

...and back to the Right toward the rest of the herd higher up the hill

 Halted and paused; Looking calmer;

at this stage we just made sure that anyone with a dog, even on lead, stayed well away

Stopped and looking in every direction on full alert ; 

a few at the left are starting what will become a drift up and over Cage Hill

 OK guys, what are you going to do next?

Splinter group head off the the copse

Success as the main herd head South over Cage Hill 

 Spring is Sprung

Common Wood Sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) brightening the woodland floor.

Try crushing a leaf between your fingers and smell them - Green Apples

Horsechestnut opening and unfolding like umbrellas

 A burst of new shoots from a damaged area of trunk

 Golden-Saxifrage (Chrysosplenium oppositifolia)

 The family are home? No, but the Cage is open when the flag is flying.

 Home to a million bugs

 Well past it's best now, the Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) is always one of the first flowers at Lyme

 The stunning vivid green of new Beech leaves

 A Bluebell showing itself under a bramble in Elmerhurst Wood

 

 Nature's Artwork: I spotted these beautiful Wave patterns on the trunk of this tree where the outer bark had detached.

I should have ID'd the tree while I could see the rest of it! Possibly a London Plane? 

If you know, please let me know by leaving a comment.

 The humble Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), nuisence in the garden but still a handsome wildflower.

Quite a dull day and flower head not fully open.

 Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) in bloom in sunny patches of Elmerhurst. 

In darker areas and in Crow Wood and along Westpark drive they are still well behind.

 Out of focus but a reminder of these little 'Rocket Ships' as my son called them; the buds on Beech just before leaf burst

Compulsory shot of South Face

 Daisy (Bellis perennis) near the Main Car Park

Today's Walling Job

This high section of the boundary wall is in one of the more inaccessible parts of Lyme high at the back of the Moor away from paths. A long drive through the Park leaving at Westparkgate then down to Pott Shrigley before approaching the boundary on a narrow track from the South. Once parked up, bars, A-frames, spades, string and all our personal tools and gear have to be carried a 10 minute walk over 2 ladder stiles and across rough country for the final stretch.

Arrival: Footings partially relaid.

Workplace Safety

Although the Red Deer are not is this section of the Moor there are horses on the farmland the other side. The fencing not only keeps stock in place but protects anyone passing as the high ends either side of the job are highly unstable. Working close to them is undertakes cautiously and Ken reminded me not to kneel but stay crouched ready to dive away in the event of any movement.

It is also essential to keep the floor clear of stones for 1m from the work area to avoid tripping. It's very tempting to keep putting stones down that don't work rather than return them to the stone pile.

Departure: A frames in place; Footings complete and first coarses underway

This Time Last Year

 Have a look at This Time Previous Years

Week 66 06/05/2015 - Brief and Late but With Promise

Week 22 07/05/14 - Bluebells to Velvet
 

Week 87 30/03/2016 - First of Spring

Photo Blog Week 87 - Wed 30 March 2016

The clocks moved forward at weekend heralding the arrival of spring and, though still not patrolling, I thought it time I brought the camera in with me as the weather looked promising.

I am still working with the walling team and tend to have just one work site each week and enough to carry with tools etc so the camera doesn't get many outings.

I'll try to be a little more regular as the year progresses.

And so, to today

Arriving through the gate from the A6, I was greeted by a 'Host of golden daffodils'.

 North Park gate

Daffodils on the bank by the drive 

 A faint moon hanging in the blue spring sky

 Heading up the drive, the sun catching the trunks of the Corsican Pines

The weather vane over the Stables building suggests the norm' of a SW wind today

Four trees on the small rise at the entrance to Turfhouse Meadow present a wonderful silhouette in winter and lush green canopy in summer. 

Lots of work has been going on at the Nursery plot over the past 12 months. More and more of this area is being brought back to life. It also looks as if some work is going on at the Kennels Cottages. 

 I like this angle on the Cage where it seems to stand 'sentry' over the landscape

A Lime tree has had a good professional haircut. It looks rather drastic but it is the way to maintain their appearance and extend their life.

 The Limes have been pruned alternately for the sake of the visual impact. 

3 cones are just visible where one tree was lost in recent winds. 

'Lyme' Park and 'Lime' trees are not linked other than phonetically

 The North face of the House with the new ramp next to the steps from the car park. 

A big help for buggies etc. and hopefully will allow the mud strip worn by people avoiding the steps to recover.

 A peaceful Mill Pond.

 Early morning swim anyone?

 Morning sun catching the South Face

Today's Work Site

This wall at the bottom of Drinkwater Meadow has many weak spots and this section in being repaired after a break formed. Although the break, or 'nip', is often quite short it is usually symptomatic of wider problems and to get back to wall that is stable often requires a considerable strip out sideways and downwards. Six of us were to work building today, 3 either side of the wall.

 Approaching work site from main car park.

A good view of the 'A' frames which guide the shape the wall is built to

 On the floor nearby, a vivid yellow sign of spring in the undergrowth.

 The rush residue shows where the brook has flooded over its banks. 

 Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria), always one of the first flowers to greet spring at Lyme

 Trying to build with the old stone is challenging. 

I am in awe of the people that built these wall out of these shapes.

 end of day

Low Pressure - Long Views

It may be against expectation, but the best long distance views are not in the periods of high pressure and long hot days, they occur during Low Pressure when, as long as it isn't raining, the air is clearest.

After I left my workmates for the day, I made my way onto the edge of Cage Hill to take in a few views before heading home.

 Manchester city centre with Winter Hill to North

 Kinder Plateau

 Sunbeams streaming down through dramatic clouds to South West

 Welsh hills clearly visible in the distance and the escarpment at Frodsham sharply defined

The high area of Park Moor. The young trees at Bowstonegate Farm showing over the ridge at right.

This Time Last Year

 Have a look at This Time Previous Years

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

Week 18 26/03/14 - Copses and Antlers