The weather continues to be dry, with a blissful hot spell closing down the month and making a second summer. The red deer stags can be heard belling and the autumn rut will be soon underway. Fungus patches emerge throughout the parkland, in woods and along grassy path ways. Naturally, the trees are adopting their seasonal shades of brown and already the leaf litter is accumulating.In Shed Plantation, a young stag has hidden with a small coterie away from the main herd. We saw him silhouetted in an almost mystical pose.
He stood his ground and watched us walk by. I would guess the only thing he might be really wary of is the large stag.
Due to holidays and other commitments, I made only two patrols this month, but the weather cannot be faulted.
Ian and I are trying to recognise and name of the various fungus we encounter. We take photographs of the growths, but, despite many sources, naming them is certainly not an easy task. A few we know now, but we will have to wait another year before we see some of them again.
Birds do not present such a problem. Buzzards are about and, on one occasion, we watched a kestrel swoop and hover. It was lit by the low, bright sunshine against the dark wall of Ivas Wood. Stunningly beautiful, we watched it for several minutes as it went about its way.
It will be interesting to see this view from Serpentine Bridge, looking towards the house, in three months time when all the leaves have left the trees.The house is on the top of the hill somewhere. The chimney stacks can be picked out in the dip of the tree line. As write this, in October, the weather has cooled and there has been quite some rain. Tomorrow (October 10th) will be my first October patrol. There will be some changes to note.
