Red deer after sunset

When most animals are getting their heads down for the night, there are some that just keep going.  The red deer rarely sleep for long stretches at a time and as dusk falls they come down off the high moors in search of the more nutritious grasses at lower levels.
We often see red deer on the skyline from the road but....

...after 6.00 this evening I watched at least 50 wild red deer without leaving the car. Some were close to Sheffield Road but most of them were within 100 meters of the road between Owler Bar and Longshaw.

First sightings and water vole

It seems that every day some old friends are returning to the Moors or coming out of hibernation.
First it was the adders and then this week I have seen skylarks, curlew, lapwings and snipe. Friends have reported seeing grass snakes and lizards as well as all 3 types of newt.

Frogs - Don't call me Common

The Common Frog - Rana Temporaria

I was getting a bit worried that the frogs had not reappeared in Ramsley.  Last year I saw them first on the 6th March, and 2 days ago there was still no sign whatsoever.  But… you wait for one frog and then 200 appear all at the same time! Another week or so and the toads will be putting in an appearance.

A BRICK RUIN ON TOTLEY MOSS

Volunteer archaeology monitors do not only inspect and report on the condition of the many recorded archaeological sites on the Eastern Moors, but also attempt to carry out some research to increase our knowledge and to correct any errors which have been made when recording features.

  

A case in point is the dilapidated brick structure (SK 2791 7950), which lies approximately 200 metres to the North East of the prominent Totley Tunnel Ventilation Shaft (SK 2773 7940).  The structure had been described in the ArcHeritage database as the remains of a tunnel surveyor’s observatory but, as it does not lie directly above the line of the tunnel, this was clearly incorrect. What could it have been used for?

Clearing up a fallen giant

This week the wardens went to deal with the fallen oak tree in the last post:

Windblown trees like this can be dangerous to clear up as the root plates can move when you sever the main part of tree, and sometimes even stand back up in the hole, but due to the immense weight of the oak stem, this one was stable: