On Easter Saturday we went over to Lydney to spend a day with some friends. We had booked a 2 pm ride on the FoD railway and had a lovely ride on the steam train. My partner who is now getting quite adapt at deer spotting soon spotted some fallow and we saw several small herds in the woods close to the line. They all looked grey and bit untidy as I presume they were moulting. The weather was glorious and warm so after diner at dusk we went for a walk. As promised I had my thermal with me and within minutes spotted 4 fallow in a grass field adjacent to the wood we were to walk through. Four of us and a Scottie just ambled down the forestry track and within minutes I spotted a roe doe in thick cover no more than 25 yds away She didn't seem at all worried about us and once located with the thermal she became visible to the naked eye. I the next 20 mins I spotted another 4 roe all within 50 yds of the track.
Soon after dusk fell and the stunning full moon rose I started to notice what looked like hot tree trunks, then whilst observing such a trunk it got up and was obviously a boar. In the next 30 mins or so we all watched a variety of different sized boar. The ladies with keener hearing could hear them from grunts/squeals to twigs breaking sadly I couldn't as I forgot to wear my hearing aids. The boar were within 50 yds and didn't seem at all worried. We saw several small groups but they were all in thick wood/cover so viewing was difficult and limited to occasional clear sightings as they crossed rides.
Having previously walked in this area I had seen considerable boar damage and my friends had taken some great photos of adult boar asleep in dead bracken. Without doubt in this area there is a very substantial boar population. We returned from our walk just after 10pm and were all very pleased to have seen so much wildlife with the aid of my thermal.
D
Soon after dusk fell and the stunning full moon rose I started to notice what looked like hot tree trunks, then whilst observing such a trunk it got up and was obviously a boar. In the next 30 mins or so we all watched a variety of different sized boar. The ladies with keener hearing could hear them from grunts/squeals to twigs breaking sadly I couldn't as I forgot to wear my hearing aids. The boar were within 50 yds and didn't seem at all worried. We saw several small groups but they were all in thick wood/cover so viewing was difficult and limited to occasional clear sightings as they crossed rides.
Having previously walked in this area I had seen considerable boar damage and my friends had taken some great photos of adult boar asleep in dead bracken. Without doubt in this area there is a very substantial boar population. We returned from our walk just after 10pm and were all very pleased to have seen so much wildlife with the aid of my thermal.
D
