What an amazing morning to walk with Roz Tucker. (All her photos)
I have been outside of the cattle grid for 3 days but that was long enough to be away in my favourite season.
The landscape changes so quickly in this time as everything turns from greens to warm bronze and russet. Fungi fruits the ground and trees while creating "fairy villages" amongst the juniper haircap moss growing on fallen logs. It really is a magical kingdom!
The early morning mist weighed heavy across the open heath as beads of dew enhanced the tangle of spider webs delicately constructed across the heather.
Roz was on all fours in her usual pose photographing the gills of a panther cap when we heard the distant roar of a red deer stag. We looked at eachother with the delight that can not be recreated at any other time of year and continued on our finds of beautiful tree structures, gently flowing streams and fruiting carpets.
Then suddenly, there was that roar again, but so close this time! We precariously wondered into the woods, tiptoeing from oak to beech to be sure not to disturb and beyond the trees and out on the grassland there he was! He was magnificent!!
14 points to his antler and a lumbering swagger due to his immense physique, he was surrounded by his harem of girls. What a privileged sight from behind an ancient oak, that at any other time of year we would be admiring him for his immense physique! What a magical moment!
The red deer are our native largest deer and are protected in the forest. We were sure to create no disturbance and Roz photographed on a zoom from a great distance.
Our wander back was full of colours and mother nature's creativities on this beautiful sunny morning
and as the temperature started to rise the speckled wood butterflies danced the woodland glades and a red admiral butterfly outwitted Roz and her camera as she crept in close and it took to the skies!