Lockdown Day 69 - Young 'Bucks' (Stags)

Today would have been my Dad's 100th Birthday.  It led me to a few moments of quiet contemplation as I walked across the fields early this morning, near my home.  I was rather interrupted from my reminiscence by a group of eight red deer stags crossing my path from an adjacent field.  Had they not done so I would probably have walked on oblivious to their presence just a few short yards away.

I then played a game of hide and seek with them over the next 50 minutes as they moved off, but staying close the the footpath I was using.  At one stage I lost them completely, only for them to be standing in the shade of a local belt of trees a few yards away.  Their antlers are growing apace, covered with the wonderful, blood laden velvet which can allow them to grow at almost a centimetre per day.  I hope to find these males again, as they typically roam a defined area separate and to the west of the main herd and if I do it will be interesting to compare images.  In fact we can already do this because this shot from earlier in the month is of the same group.

We had a lazy morning reading the Sunday paper and then a quick dash out on the tandem to meet up with L's sister and husband for an impromptu, socially-distanced picnic.  We managed to put together some sandwiches which was just as well as they turned up with a pack of digestive biscuits and fruit squash!

It has been disturbing to see the news reports of the numbers of people visiting local beauty spots and the coastal beaches.  Social distancing seems to be forgotten in the rush to enjoy the good weather and the mess that has been left in some parks is really upsetting.  


Day Miles: 5.8 miles Total miles: 703.4 miles