Lockdown Day 49 - Deer in Velvet

The end of week 7 in lockdown and despite the suggested road map presented by the British Government there is a growing realisation that a new normal is already in place and we are unlikely to see any significant change in the foreseeable future.  

I had an up and down sort of day.  Down, when I slipped on the decking this morning and ended unceremoniously on by backside (well hip and elbow really).  Up during an afternoon walk when I turned a corner in a field to come across this group of male red deer.  I don't know who was more surprised.  Again I got the same behaviour as exhibited previously being stared back at rather than an immediate turning of their tails and away.  

This year's antlers have started to grow (I've never been fortunate enough to find any discarded from a previous year) and their winter coats are beginning to moult.  These are relatively young stags from the herd, but it is noticeable that each year the average maturity of the males in the herd is increasing.  This could lead to more injury during the rut if the pool of active  males is too high, so I'm hoping someone is monitoring the situation.

I bumped in to a couple of people during my walk.  It was a couple of days early but I had a socially distanced walk with the first, Ian, who was trying to find his way along the footpath through these fields.  I was able to guide him to the local road.  Then, as I walked passed our friends' house I got a phone call from one of them and a lovely opportunity to have a walk with her back to our home, where she spent a few minutes in conversation with L.

Day Miles: 5.5 miles Total miles: 592.7  miles