October 25th – This momma deer and her two calves – a yearling and this year’s – were happily browsing on the common when I spotted them. Nervous, all but the little one hid for a while, then braved my camera.
Lovely creatures, in good health, by the looks. I loved the colours in the youngest’s coat.
May 14th – On Clayhanger Common, in very poor light and heavy rain, a group of six red deer – a stag and six hinds. In fine fettle, still moulting out, they walked towards me cautiously until spooked by a dog (which I cursed royally).
I am seeing the deer three or four times a week at the moment. I’ve never seen so many here. It’s astounding that such beasts live here in such apparent peace. I love them to bits.
March 13th – So, having got the new camera and charged it up, I tried it out on the way home. I need more time with it, as many settings I’m used to have moved – but I was quite pleased, really. The flowers in Walsall Wood are a credit to the people who planted them, and are really worth a trip to see. The sunset over Walsall Wood, Bullings Heath and Clayhanger Common was great tonight, in all its misty glory.
The lone red deer hind was a surprise as I rode around the new pond at Clayhanger – I almost missed her; she was nervous and high-tailed it away almost as soon as I spotted her. I think they get in the osiers and scrub on the marsh on the far side of the pool, safe there from human contact.
I see the canal boat moorings are still busy at Silver Street, and it’s nice to see the woodsmoke drifting from the chimneys as you pass by.
Not a bad first sample, really.
August 11th – I’d planned a long ride, but my energy levels – and a grim, persistent wind – didn’t allow it. My speeds were poor, and there were too may distractions, like the deer I spotted along the way. I spotted the first group – 6 or so red deer, including some impressive stags – on Cuckoo Bank, just off the Cannock Road north of Chasewater. They showed well, until something spooked them and they disappeared back into the thicket.
Further on, at Penkridge Bank on Cannock Chase, a few skittish hinds were loafing in the bracken. I had thought the red colouring meant the one was juvenile, but this is not apparently the case, and it’s just a different marking.
It’s always good to see the deer, even on a ride when the wind never really gets behind you.
August 26th – The same ride, and my deer magnet was clearly functioning well. Late afternoon, four red deer on the north heath of Chasewater, two adult hinds and their two young fawns. These are the first of this year’s youngsters I’ve seen and they look fit and heathy. For the time of year, their coats, too, were in surprisingly good condition.
I still can’t quite believe these animals roam free here; they always leave me in awe. We’d never have imagined as kids that seeing such fine creatures in Brownhills would be remotely possible.
June 17th – My deer magnet is clearly functioning well right now. These two delightful yearling hinds were grazing on the scrub adjacent to the railway track at Chasewater Heaths. Note that they’re still very young, and have the traces of their juvenile whit spots still present in their summer coats. They happily browsed the vegetation whilst keeping an eye on me, eventually wandering into the thicket nearby. A lovely sight, and one I still pinch myself in disbelief, every time I see it.
June 10th – Grainy, and very long range, this is a red deer hind and her young fawn. The females should at the moment be with young, or preparing to give birth, for which they tend to split from the main herd and search out protective cover. This lone mother was on cuckoo bank in just such conditions, and was very nervous and twitchy for her offspring. A wonderful, summertime sight, with births occurring up until mid-July.
June 5th – It was another miserable day, but the wildlife at Chasewater was showing well. There were several deer on the north heath, but it was this stray hind that caught my eye. Hanging around the railway line, she seemed to be after food, but didn’t sam to quite trust me. Coming quite close at times, the scene was spoiled, as it usually is in summer, by an idiot with a dog off the lead.
April 10th – I saw something remarkable today. It’s usual for the red deer hinds to congregate in groups at this time of year, and I’d been missing them at Chasewater. I actually set out to find them there today, and disappointed, headed back down the old railway line towards Engine Lane. it was on the way that i struct gold. in a meadow between the former track and Marklew’s Pond, a herd of about 30 hinds were loafing, unpeturbed by the cyclist guy. I’ve seen large groups before, but rarely this big of a single sex. I found it a bit odd there were no young, though, although one or two of the ladies here seemed to be looking rather rotund. The general condition seemed a little poor, although this could be just the moult. They hung around watching me for about 5 minutes, before being spooked by something, whereupon they moved over toward the pond, before crossing it a disappearing into the scrub. A fine sight, and one I never, ever imagined seeing here as a young man. We are privileged indeed.
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