In August Nikos led the Scapers Group to Bushy Park.  As usual lift shares were organised, setting off from Bracknell at 9:15am and those who made their own way joined the rest of the group in the car park off Chestnut Avenue.  

It was a bright sunny day with a very pleasant breeze making it much more comfortable than it has been of late.  Cameras were out and at the ready from the get go.  I always say that Bushy Park serves nature on a plate and today was no exception.  

As we walked along the west side of Heron Pond we enjoyed the sight of deer, standing on their hindlegs, reaching for the lowest branches of the oak trees. We found a male and a female red deer browsing among the reed bed at the edge of the pond.  We were surprised to note that the male had not yet shed the velvet from his antlers.  We could tell this was a young stag as his antlers were spikes known as knobbers as opposed to branched antlers.  In winter he will lose his antlers and by spring they will be replaced by a lightly branched set.  These deer were right by the path and seemed unperturbed by our presence but we are acutely aware that come the rutting season their temperament will be entirely different.  We must always ensure we are keeping a safe distance.  

From Heron Pond we turned northwest to walk along the Longford River, the manmade river dug by workers during the reign of King Charles I.  It was designed to provide a water supply for Hampton Court.  In this hot dry weather it has proven to be a valuable resource for watering the plants in the Woodland Garden.

Along the way we stopped in our tracks to photograph a couple of little egrets high up in the branches of the trees above the river.  

We continued to explore the park and catch up on news.  We lingered for a while in the Waterhouse Plantation where we waited patiently watching a heron stalking silently among the water lily pads whilst moorhens fussed over each other and the soft flick of dragonflies and damselflies could be heard hovering low to the surface.  Surprisingly a coot gathered nesting material, negotiating his way through the lily pads. 

For lunch we took a short stroll towards Hampton Court Palace, turning off just before the bridge over the Thames.  We dined at the Mute Swan where conversation flowed.  Afterwards we retraced our steps back to the car park.  

Once again Nikos had led a great walk and found us an excellent eatery and, as you will see, it resulted in some great photos.