Keep Out!

Almost a year ago the ranges adjacent to my estate were subject to a wildfire covering over 85% of the 750 hectare site, and threatening the survival of the wildlife, including a herd of red deer. The Surrey Wildlife Trust, which manages the reserve on behalf of the MOD, expect it will take over a decade before returning to its former conditions. Almost to add insult to injury, much of the perimeter path has been grubbed up and trees and bushes cut down to allow replacement of the gas pipeline between Southampton and London.  Although the works in this area are now complete and the site "tidied up", they have left large areas of bare land which I suspect will also take time to regenerate.

Walking up to the ranges today, however, I was pleased to catch a rare glance of one of the deer, a young stag, grazing on the new vegetation amongst the blackened remains of gorse bushes and trees. Although he was aware and very wary of me, he was quite safe from me as the ranges have no public access due to being use for live firing, and this image was taken through a 6 foot barbed-wire fence!