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 75 22/07/2015 - North Circle

Photo Blog Week 75 - Wed 22 July 2015

Today I stayed in the North of the Park so the scenery is the rolling grassland of Cage Hill and the lower altitude woodland rather than the high moorland I often cover. The Park was busy with many young children coming in for the Gruffalo exhibition but also, as the weather improved, picnics were popular.

I arrived to rain with only my good camera so it stayed sealed in a plastic bag until after lunch meaning that we can have a rest with somewhat fewer photo's than some weeks. My route follows the boundary of the Northern part of the Park.

route: The House; Timber Yard; cross stream; Turtle Brew; Four Winds; The Knott; Dipping Pond; Car Park and Timber Yard

Four Winds track down to Windgather Cottage Park Entrance.

This rise gives some of the best and easily accessible views across Cheshire and Manchester

On the old entrance road curving around The Knott.

This track forms part of  The Original Route In - the Traditional Approach Route to The House which I describe and follow in a previous blog post.(week 61 28/03/2005)

Volunteer Walling team at work on a collapse in the boundary wall

This break would be critical as one side is sheep grazing in an adjacent field and this side the red deer roam and could escape

Sheep are grazing the grass around The Knott. 

Grazing will help maintain the area as pleasant grassland

Many people forget that the countryside we see as natural has been artificially created by centuries of farming and management. Grassland left un-managed becomes weed ridden and ugly in time as other plants such as bracken and brambles invade and take over.

This is also the reason behind the stock fencing being installed on Pursefield below Paddock Cottage where the lower reaches of the grass are shrinking uphill as the scrub invades. The beautiful sloping grass will not be there for future generation without introducing grazing.

The jetty in the Dipping Pond. (Only accessible with Rangers)

Stag Damage

I mentioned last week the palings around trees to protect from Stag antler damage.

The vertical gouges in this trunk are the result of stags rubbing their antlers which strips the bark.

The tree has been stripped of bark around the entire circumference and has died as a result.

route: Timber Yard; Mill Pond; North Face of House; East Lodge Drive; Red Deer Sanctuary; Coalpit Wood dip

Water Lillies on the Mill Pond.

Black Headed Gull defending its perch over the Mill Pond

Summer is a time of green paths as the short grass shines out bright green in contrast the the longer grass

The grass on Cage Hill in front of The House is thick and long

route: Coalpit Wood dip; bottom of Cage Hill; Horse Coppice Reservoir; Red Lane Park Entrance; Admissions Hut

weak path running North through the grass along the edge of Coalpit Wood

Coalpit Wood - Sycamore

I often show pictures of the Beech in Knightslow Wood and the Firs in Lantern and on Haze Bank and Coalpit Wood is very different. Largely Sycamore, it is a deciduous wood with a full canopy but unlike the Beech woods, the woodland floor is lush and green.

Harebells (Campanula rotundifolia)

One of my favourite wild flowers. This is the best of 5 photo's as they were whipping about in the wind.

Horse Coppice and Bollinhurst reservoirs

A ghostly Manchester in the distance

Grade II listed gateway by Red Lane Cottage

route: Admissions Hut; Elmerhurst Wood; Crow Wood; Mill Pond; Car Park (end)

Yellow Honeysuckle

Elmerhurst Wood has the feel of a traditional English woodland with mixed deciduous trees and a vast variety of undergrowth

Undergrowth very full and tall along the path edges 

Wild Raspberries

Footbridge in a dell on the Elmerhurst Wood path

Beech Mast

One of the reasons that the floor of Knightslow Wood and other Beech woods have bare floors with little undergrowth is 'masting'. Beech trees will produce huge volumes of seeds (masts) every 2 to 6 years and this creates a mulch so thick that it suppresses growth of ground plants under the tree.

 This is the ground under a large mature Beech Tree by the path between Elmerhurst and Crow Woods

a close view of Beech Mast

Back at the Car Park, threatening clouds silhouetting two Sequoias (Giant Redwoods)

Today's track

Total: 6.26 miles (10.08 km)  4 hr 45 min

duration includes stops for chats, inspections, photo's and snacks

This Time Last Year

 Have a look at This Time Last Year 

Week 31 23/07/2014 - Feeling Hot, hot, hot

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