Escapes and Photography: August 2022

Walking around Charlecote this week it really hit home that nothing is quite back to normal and I'm not sure it ever will be, only the future can tell us if this is a good or bad thing but things are and have changed.

Furthermore, the weather has been unusually hot and dry tricking much of nature into what looks like an early Autumn. It all sounds a little depressing but it's actually quite interesting too! Most of us or maybe even all of us would not have seen this before, it's worth taking note. I can't recall this ever happening in the heat of the seventies as I was just a child but now as an adult, I look at things differently, as we all do.

In dry weather, trees will go into survival mode and start to loose their leaves to maintain their energy at their core where it's needed the most.

It's very strange seeing autumn colours in what should be the peak of summer, but it only seems to be the higher grounds like Front Park, which is the main area of the park for most visitors. I'm guessing it's due to how the land drains down to the lower grounds.

Nature is really quite amazing, the leaves will receive less and less water, change colour and then start to fall. It's called a false autumn, forced upon nature and trees through extreme dry weather. They start to prepare themselves for autumn until they reach their full state of hibernation, ready for the winter where they are able to reduce their need for energy and protect themselves during the harder climates. I'm now curious to see what happens during the true autumn season as I can only assume these trees would have lost most of their leaves by then. Strange times.

This unusual weather also caused the lake to nearly dry up! Witnessing this last week was shocking! I have been visiting Charlecote since I was a child and have never seen the lake like this, there were cracks in the ground were everywhere.

I searched around looking for anything we wouldn't normally see resting at the bottom of the lake, be it wildlife or objects - yet, apart from the odd bits of wood which the water birds use to perch on, the lake was quite clean which is very good for wildlife.

We don't normally get fish in the lake so luckily that wasn't something to worry about. The odd one might straydown the stream after heavy rain but the herons snap them up as quick as they arrive. There are usually dragonflies and damselflies all around the lake at this time but the banks of the rivers are full of them right now so all is not lost.

It was strange seeing ducks walking on what would have been the lake. Luckily, we did have a little rain since I took these photos.

It's not all gloom, a big positive with Charlecote is that it has two rivers running through the land and the sides of the banks are still quite green, life is thriving there. The deer can be spotted by the rivers keeping cool or taking a refreshing drink both at the beginning and end of the days. Like all of us, they appreciate a little shade under the trees in the midday sun.

I'm asked from time to time, why the deer don't just swim off down river? In the picture above, you can see the river boom which stretches across the river and does so at the other end of the park too. The deer can't swim past these, so they are kept safe within the park.

I call the buck in the picture below Snowy, isn't he stunning? His brother is almost identical now, it's getting harder and harder to tell them apart. I think there is only a couple of years between them but this year the youngest has caught up with his big brother and has an big pair of antlers. They seem very close and you can normally spot one where the other is.

If you come to Charlecote often, it is worth sitting back and watch how the deer interact. I find them fascinating to watch. They are like one big happy family, but then within that big family, you have your smaller family groups and favorites friends to hang out with. Just like with us, really.

Here are the two brothers together. I know I shouldn't have favourites but I do. After watching the deer for so many years, you get to know them a little, their nature and one or two always catch your attention more than others.

Look out for the deer with the crazy hairstyles! The velvet is coming off their antlers and they can look a little gory at times but as I've said before in my previous blogs, it's all part of the deer's usual cycle and this is perfectly normal.

I got a little side tracked there with the deer but back to the river. ☺

I spotted a beautiful family of swans on the River Avon. I counted 5 cygnets in total while walking around the meadow.

The fish in the rivers are doing just fine along with all the other wildlife that depend upon them, including the kingfishers which dart up and down the river. Nature always finds a way.

If you stand upon the old Slaughter Bridge, you can look over the side into the river that runs underneath. See how many fish you can spot - children love watching them swim. Enjoy nature and wildlife as it should be enjoyed!

A new family of buzzards flying over the park. I remember earlier in the year seeing a very busy buzzard flying back and forth with little sticks in it's beak, it's nice to see they had a good season!

House martins busy feeding and flying around the paddock. You can't miss them flying over your head.

Beautiful colours can still be spotted in the gardens thanks to the careful watering from the team of staff and volunteers that dedicate their time to looking after the park. One of my favourite flowers and one I have grown in my own garden this year is the Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm', also known as a 'Black Eyed Susan'. I have a few from the same family of flowers in my garden and am loving them.

Inspired by Charlecote's gardens, my own garden..

And the beautiful sunflowers along the croquet lawn are worth seeing. 100 plants were planted earlier in the year.

Now they are in full bloom and are absolutely stunning!

It's the first time I've seen the wisteria on the front of the house flower a second time in the same year, so many new and different things are happening this year!

Lots of busy bees on the borders doing what they do best.

If you look carefully, you might spot hares hiding in the long grass.

You can just spot two hares in the picture below. The long dried grass hides them well.

Fungi spotted on a few trees.

If you wander into West Park over Slaughter Bridge, you will see the new additions to the park this year, the growing lambs and the fawns starting to explore the area more and more.

Fallow deer does and fawns.

Little cute Jacob lamb.

If you walk a little further past the lambs, you might just spot the other new additions to the Jacob family at Charlecote. Just in the next field through the fence if you are lucky, you might spot Aladdin or Gryphon.

They are like best friends already and where one is, the other will always be close by.

To finish my blog with a smile, well - it made me smile anyway. Below are a few ewes in Places Meadow keeping in the cover of the shade under the trees...