A Sunday that promises sunny weather brings out every vehicle into the Peak District. From 8.30 on the roads were enough to persuade you to stay at home. Cars, motor bikes, road cyclists and mountain bikers were also out in force, some of the MTBers being disgorged from vans. Joggers also, another regular Sunday activity.
6.30, though, was the time to be out watching the sun come up. Song thrushes were in good voice with plenty of mimickry mixed in with the phrases. Mistles were heard later on as were the smaller birds. Something had told me the hinds might be around and ten of them were in a favourite place, accompanied as they often are by a single hanger-on, a young stag.
They were braving a strong cooling wind from the north west. Herd behaviour in hinds is not quite the same as with stags but there is some bossiness as the bigger hinds assert seniority.
The stags were over in the shelter of the woodland edges with more awareness of their comfort. They will stand for lengthy periods allowing the sun to penetrate their coats now looking the worse for wear.
As we approached the bird feeding station 2 hours later my whistling brought not just the robins, chaffinches, assorted tits and blackbird. A curlew flew over making entreating calls. I can manage a few seeds but there are limits.
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