Red Deer rut (2nd October)

[simoncurson]

It was such a lovely evening that Mandy and I decided to get out of the house. The Red Deer should be rutting so we set off for Aldridge Hill, just west of Brockenhurst.
As we stepped out of the car many Robins were singing in the trees. We met Bernie Bedford a little way down the path. He had been watching the deer for an hour or so and told us where they were this evening.
As we walked along the track the clear evening light was wonderful and the lowering sun cast an orangey glow over the heather. We could see three groups of Red Deer out on the heath, each with its stag watching over the hinds. We skirted around the edge of the heath among the trees until we were fairly near one group of deer. After a few minutes the stag started calling, a loud belching noise almost like a cow. As we watched through binoculars a second stag appeared and walked towards the first. As the reached each other they interlocked antlers. Oddly they seemed to do this slowly and deliberately, almost gracefully. However the next five minutes were a show of strength as they pushed each other back and forth over the heather. Eventually the second stag turned and ran, leaving the first to call triumphantly. All his hinds had run off during the fight and so he wandered off to get them back.
As we walked back to the car a few Tawny Owls started calling and hooting. We met Simon Currie who was also out looking at the deer. He told us that the Sika Deer have started their rut as well. We may look for them soon.
The Red Deer rut from about mid September to mid October.
The Sika Deer rut through October.
The Fallow Deer rut in late October and early November.
Autumn is the season of the rut, so I hope you get out to see some of it.
Simon Curson

[simoncurson]

Another great evening watching the Red Deer rutting – this time at Blackwater. We parked in Blackwater car park at about 5pm and headed into the woods in the opposite direction to the Arboretum. It wasn’t long before we passed some people walking back who told us where the action was.
We arrived at a field with lots of Bracken in it and this is where the deer were. We had missed a lot of action in the previous hour or so, but there were about 3 Red Deer stags in the field roaring away. They didn’t have any fights in the hour we watched them, but did wander about gathering their hinds. Due to the height of the Bracken you couldn’t see them clearly all the time. However it did make the experience seem wilder.
There was a lot more bird action than yesterday. A group of finches flew into the tops of some pines as we passed. They were Greenfinches and Crossbills. One lovely red male showed well in the evening sun. When they flew I realised how big the flock was, there may have been up to 40 Crossbill altogether. Tit flocks were also very vocal with Long-tailed Tits, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Goldcrests and Treecreepers. A Wren sang a few times and several Mistle Thrushes flew over.
As we were watching the stags a couple of Raven called and I spotted them fly over a little way away. Then Mandy said “Simon, there’s a stag here”. I turned round and one of the stags had walked out of the field and walked past where we were hiding by a bush. It walked about 30 metres from us.
As we walked back to the cars it was too early for any Tawny Owls to be calling, but there were lots of Robins in full evening song.
Has anyone else been out to look at the Deer?
Simon Curson

[simoncurson]

Wonderfully sunny morning out on the Forest. We went back to Aldridge Hill for 8.30am. Not many Red Deer about this morning and not any action really apart from one stag who bellowed a couple of times. The best thing was 1 Dartford Warbler calling from the top of one of the isolated Gorse bushes on the heath there.
We went on to Ladycross (between Brockenhurst and Beaulieu). Lots of autumn wildlife activity. Small flocks of finches, mostly Chaffinch, feeding on the ground beneath the trees, a Great-spotted Woodpecker in an old Birch, a couple of Red Admiral, singing Robins and Wrens, plenty of different mushrooms about and some pigs that had been put out to pannage. There are also so many berries on the fruit trees. Crisp looking Crab Apples, bright red Rose Hips, Haws and Guelder Rose berries and purple Sloes - all edible if you know what to do with them (I'm making Sloe Gin). Speaking of edible things, we bumped into a French couple who had collected a dozen Cep (sometomes called Penny Bun) mushrooms - apparently a very tasty species.
Simon Curson.

[Si]

I went out there aswell this morning from about 7 till 9.45. Lots of stags still roaring from Blackwater, didnt see any fighting though. Saw & heard  the same Dartford Warbler in the gorse near the bridge on the Heath. Also watched a Sparrowhawk fly over the self-seeded pines on Ober Heath. As it was passing over the pines it quickly turned & raked the topmost branches grabbing at a flock of Chaffinches that were feeding in them. Amazing speed & manouverability. There was also a nice 17 pointer stag with his 3 hinds & 4 calves on Poundhill Heath we were watching. Until a photographer walked across the heath & they ran to the inclosure. More fungi about now & also the rare Nail fungus on some pony poo. This fungus is pretty much restricted to the New Forest but can be quite common here. Saw a very big Fallow buck by Poundhill Inclosure & heard one calling for the first time this Autumn from Fletchers Thorns Inclosure.

Simon, were the Sika calling at Ladycross?
Simon Currie

[simoncurson]

The Sika Deer were not calling at Ladycross, but it was from 11am to Noon.
Simon

[PhilF]

I took some friends out yesterday morning. We parked up at Blackwater and walked down towards Queen's Meadow but even from the carpark we could hear the roaring. It's always magical to see the rut but yesterday was especially pleasing for me as the friends i had taken out had never seen it before.

By the time we headed home we had encountered 4 stags and more hinds than we could count. The highlight though was one magnificent stag who carried himself with the assurance that he was lord and master of all he surveyed.

Needless to say my friends have already asked for another walk and want to know what else I can show them!!

Phil Flynn