Cadman's Pool - 24th Nov 07

Driving up to Cadman’s Pool in the north of the Forest I went past Bolderwood & just by the Slaughter Hollies a few Fallow bucks were milling around in the dim light with the four year old white buck in amongst them.
Once at Cadman's Pool car park it was still fairly dark & very cold with frost all over the ground. I walked down through Anses Wood towards Dockens Water & Robins, Wrens & also a Nuthatch were already awake & calling. The Tits were waking up to. When I got to the bridge over the stream it was getting lighter. Chaffinches were about now & a Hawfinch flew overhead ‘ticking’. Walking up the hill over the heath going up to Old Sloden a Buzzard called & flew over to Holy Hatch Inclosure. At the top of the hill I started walking south west through the old Oaks & Yews in Old Sloden. A couple of groups of fallow does were trying to find some unfrozen food on the ground as I walked among the trees. As I came out of the wood at the point overlooking the heath, Hasley Hill Inclosure & Hallickshole Hill, there were loads of Redwings & Fieldfares in the Hollies down the slope. A Dartford Warbler called from a Gorse bush at the bottom.

I went down the slope & joined the gravel track that went in to Sloden Inclosure. This part of Sloden Inclosure is made up of mainly mature Douglas Firs & Oaks & is fairly open. I walked on through the Inclosure, across the driftway into Alderhill Inclosure & across Latchmore Brook that runs through it. The birds had gone quiet at this stage except for the usual tits & Chaffinches, Dunnock & a Great Spotted Woodpecker. Not many mushrooms about either, just a few Mycena’s, Candle Snuff & Yellow Stagshorn fungus. Every mushroom I came across this morning was frozen solid.

I didn’t have time to walk up to Pitts Wood or Hampton Ridge, so I had to come out of the southern gate of Alderhill Inclosure & back along the fence line of Sloden as it goes up Deadbuck Hill. Along the way Crossbills, Bramblings & Siskins flew over. The heathland to my right was still covered with frost, with not even a Meadow pipit piping up.
I walked along the southern edge of Old Sloden. & a couple more groups of Fallow does were on the heath at Ragged Boys Hill, a melanistic (black) doe amongst them. (she wasn't in this pic though).

I then picked up on the gravel track that goes down to Holly Hatch Cottage with Holly Hatch Inclosure behind it & walked along the Dockens Water as it runs parallel with Holly Hatch Inclosure & then back through Anses Wood.