Peaceful

A cooler night followed by a calm, cloudless morning. What better time to relax in the sun?

Good to see deer again especially when so much at ease. Others are nearby including some young ones.

And a proprietorial stag. His antlers are interesting; they are rarely symmetrical but these are quite different.

Another view shows a good three point crown on the left side leaving the right side unorthodox.
He seems more than happy with his lot. No challenges, no bellowing. All is peace.

Oakland

The fascinating BBC4 90 minute programme about the oak tree is still available via the iPlayer.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06fq03t/oak-tree-natures-greatest-survivor

For study their chosen oak is set in a field from which all competing trees have been removed probably by grazing animals. That allows the tree to spread more than it could in woodland. The multitude of acorns deposited every four or five years might otherwise have created an oak woodland. It might have been interesting to see oak in the context of mixed, predominantly oak woodland. Much of the material in the programme would still have been relevant but there would be differences.

Here on Blacka we had a developing oak woodland still in its early stages. Two young oaks on the edge of birch and alder woodland are changing colour, their position being to the north of neighbouring trees.

More sheltered from north and west this tree still retains more green.

As does this well protected older specimen.

More oaks would be present had the manager not decided that there must be an open area suitable for cow grazing; hence the killing off of several promising specimens.

In the nearby woodland there are oaks competing with the pine and alder.

Despite the shelter their leaf drop is more advanced.

Being Nice

What important jobs are not being done in the time taken to decide to do this, to plan it and design something that most people ignore or find simply irritating?

This is the worst yet and as for being nice, the nicest thing I can think of saying about it is that those responsible have completely lost the plot as far as understanding their role in the community. I'm assuming that this is the work of officers of Sheffield City Council's Parks Department or its Public Rights of Way Unit. Is this really the level we've reached? Key Stage 2? Is there nobody in a position of authority who sees employees doing this sort of thing and is there no system within the council for alerting senior staff that there are employees who should be transferred to departments that are chronically understaffed because of central government cuts?

I just wonder if this has come through the MTBers, even  via the Local Access Forum? Recent years have seen a coordinated strategy of bikers yelling "Good Morning" as they raced up to us. No understanding that you may be observing a bird or other form of wildlife, or simply enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. It was of course meant to show that those who do not respond in the way they are meant to are miserable gits. And who is it who decides just how others should respond?

How Long?

Does it really take so long for these things to be made illegal?

Barn owl killed by sky lantern as @RSPCA_official warn people not to use them https://t.co/aQAPGYYM1M via @MetroUK pic.twitter.com/PHsUGwtmRg

— peter burton (@peteswildlife) October 19, 2017

As with releasing balloons, obviously with an intention to litter the environment. As bad as throwing your sandwich wrappers out of the car.

High Tune

The robin had chosen a high perch to give us a welcome song on a gloomy morning.

A nearby woodpecker had decided to use a high pine branch to provide a percussion accompaniment.

Memo

From a tweet by Paul Dalton

Old and Gold

Decaying willow herbs.

And when the sun catches there's a hint of gold.