Farnham Heath nature reserve

The RSPB look after Farnham Heath and have done for the last ten years. They have worked to restore the heathland and bring back the wildlife that thrives in it. Best of all, it’s a five minute walk from the cottage.

After lunch today, Day-z and I took off to explore the heath from this direction. We’ve already visited the reserve – it’s just behind the Rural Life Centre and I’ve posted about it before – but not from this direction. Also, last time, it was the four of us.

We followed the bridle track which follows Old Frensham Road until we came to the first gate into the reserve. Signs warn about the dangers of allowing dogs to scare the ground nesting birds. Apparently, the parents take flight and don’t return to their nests. Whatever is left (eggs, baby birds, cuckoos) is not then guaranteed survival being prey to anything that happens by…or they just starve.

The signs ask dog owners to keep dogs under close control, sticking to the paths. It’s rather nice that they don’t insist on leads. Not that Day-z is a problem. She happily trots along the path behind me now her sister is no longer tempting her away into any clump of heather that may contain a bog.

We crossed the first bit of reserve and came out on the path that runs behind the Rural Life Centre and starts climbing the hill. Up to this point the only people we’d seen were three joggers. While we didn’t see any birds, we did hear a lot of them. The day was full of bird song. It was wonderful, like we were surrounded by them.

As we turned left off the main path, to climb the steep hill, something made me turn around. I was just in time to see a deer leap over the wire fence and land in the middle of the path about 50 feet away. It didn’t stop but went racing down the path away from us. I managed to get the camera out and snapped this photograph. The little brown thing is the deer.

Retreating deer

This is what it looks like if I enlarge the photo. It’s a good job I told you it was a deer!

Captured deer

Anyway, as it disappeared, I saw what had made it run like it was being pursued by a big dog. Just the other side of the fence was a big dog which, I assume, had been pursuing it. That sounds a bit dramatic. There WAS a big dog but it was a Labrador and it was on a lead being walked by it’s owner. Like Day-z, it probably hadn’t even seen the deer.

We walked on up to the top of the hill, stopping to rest on a handy tree stump at the summit. While the day was warm and sunny, there was a perfect cooling breeze, aiding in our comfort levels. Eventually we made our long way back to the cottage.

We’d been out walking for two hours and thoroughly enjoyed it. I think we might just get to know Farnham Heath Nature Reserve quite well over the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, my very clever wife, had an extremely successful meeting regarding validation. Tomorrow she’s having lunch with a Baron and Friday she’s at the House of Lords answering questions. It’s all very exciting…and miles away from heathland.