I see you

 

Suffering from leucism, a partial deficiency in pigmentation, this fallow deer sticks out like a sore thumb. I wondered if it knew it was a different colour from its peers, or it's peers knew, though they don't seen to mind or ostracise it, even though they're a total give away and surely a liability. Often if it wasn't for the white deer you'd miss a tucked away rangle of deer altogether.

Markway in the mist

 

Markway in the mist

Another red sky

 

Over the years whenever I'd risen early to greet a sunrise marking a spoke on the wheel, I'd always say 'I must catch more sunrises', though of course I never did. I do now, and we've enjoyed a fair few gloriously hued sunrises as a consequence.

Markway

 

Even though it was a muted morning the restored heath of the former Markway enclosure put on a wonderful show of colours. I remember when this was all trees. No really. Up until a few years ago this was a 114 hectares of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Corsican Pine (Pinus nigra). Created as recently as 1960 it's been all but cleared and returned to open heathland, with the remaining coniferous stands due to be cleared by 2026. Already though sapling Birch (Betula pendula) and Scots Pine are tentitivly colonising, unchecked there'll be stands here in no time.

Misty morning

 

The forest has many faces.

Invasion

 

An invasion of silver birch, pine and gorse continues unabated throughout what was until harvested only a few years ago Markway enclosure. When I was younger swathes of open heath had been colonized in this way, they doesn't take long to get established. I for one hope the forestry or NPA just leave them be, let nature take her course. I'd like to walk through those woods.

Markway

The sun rises through the remaining stand of trees in Markway enclosure, a broad strip of juvenile deciduous trees running the west side of the enclosure, the rest of the enclosure was of coniferous stock now all clean cut. 

When I wake up

 ''When I wake up in the morning, love; and the sunlight hurts my eyes.''

Duck Hole

The heatwave continues, and forest dries out further. Or so it appears. No, that's being disingenuous, the forest is really dry on the whole, though if you venture off the beaten track, off into the heathland hollows you'll find them still wet, and a filigree of rivulets being fed by hidden springs still flowing well.  Take Duck Hole Bog here, in a fold below what was Markway enclosure (now clear felled and harvested), verdant and lovely, clear tannin tinged water bubbling along in stark contrast to the increasingly parched open heath around it. Definitely, a place to sit a while and take in the summer forest.

Ferny revealed

Hidden within the modern coniferous spread of Markway enclosure was Ferny Knapp enclosure, 1843. The harvesting of Markway's conifer wood is revealing what remains of the older enclosure. Now free again, Ferny Knapp has returned to a woodland island surrounded by wet heathland. A nice spot. The forest is always changing shape, putting on new faces and renewing itself. That's why it can sometimes be hard to recognize the places you visited as a child, things can change that much. 

Making way in Markway

Markway has nearly all been cleared of it's coniferous plantation, the trees having come of age, have been harvested block at a time over the last few years, now few remain. I think the long term strategy is to return this area to heathland, whether that's now or after another conifer cycle, I don't know. It looks like Silver Birch have planted in some areas or maybe just staked their claim naturally, what that says, again, I don't know. Time will tell. Though for now the landscape is churned, cluttered with debris, and the trackways are lined with piles of timber.  One change which is immediate are the views which have been opened up by the clearance.