Dawn Movements

Taking advantage of good June mornings:

At 6 am the sun had only touched the higher parts of the trees in the woods near Shorts Lane leaving the bluebells in the shade.

Further up the lane and past the stables, where building improvements have been started, the lane is lined with cow parsley.

A fox was out on his dawn patrol in the buttercup pasture but soon scuttled off.

Up on the higher parts all was fairly still until a roebuck suddenly appeared then raced off quickly clearing the barbed wire by several feet.

After that calm returned apart from twitchy pipits and the persistent cuckoo The other deer might be expected to be lying down invisibly, soaking up the June sun probably not far away. But a hind popped up perhaps scenting a dog on the path.

Next to her the calf born last year rose from the deep heather and bilberry. He now looks older and more spruce with a reddish coat and two neat bumps on his head.

All was now action. He turned his head sharply looking to where another (the same?) buck had poked his head. He too shot off at great speed and with superior jumping.

A moment later and three stags appeared close by the stream, one of them quite laid back, consistent with his senior status. He stayed long enough to express mild disapproval.