Fallow Deer walk 23rd Oct

The weather was warm and sunny. Highlights were many Fallow Deer calling and Ergot fungus.

After a brief talk about identifying the different deer and a view of some antlers we walked from the car park through woods to Queens Meadow stopping briefly to look at the difference between Heather and Cross-leaved Heath and to listen to Robins singing. We also found some spore cases of Ergot, a small poisonous fungus that infests grass seeds. As we approached Queens Meadow we saw a few Fallow Deer, but once we got to the edge of the meadow we could see that there were at least three stags and many hinds in different parts of the meadow. We spent the next two hours watching them all. One stag basically kept out of the way at one end of the meadow. One had his patch and a decent harem in the middle of the meadow and a large stag was at the far end of the meadow by the woods. As the afternoon went on the stags started calling more and more. The one by the woods wandered into the woods and gathered his harem. However, it was quite difficult to work out what was going on as hinds kept wandering from one group to another and the stags tried to keep their harems together, but with varying amounts of success. The light was great with the sun shining on the meadow and creating shafts of light through the woodland that would catch the stag’s antlers every now and then. Many of us had cameras and many very good photographs were taken. The atmosphere was wonderful with the stags doing their pig like calls and the warm sun streaming down. We were careful not to go into the woods at all. The Deer were not too bothered by our presence as we kept to the footpaths where they are used to seeing humans. Disturbance by people going off the paths is an increasing problem and deer are being forced deeper into woods and further from footpaths.
As well as the deer we also spent some time watching a Green Woodpecker feeding on the ground. Overall a very relaxing and pleasant way to spend the afternoon.
Simon Curson