Big changes for summer. It’s a busy time for nature, both feathered and fur. Late last month we heard the Cuckoo. The bird returns each year on 28th April and its call confirms its presence in the woodland. The call reminds us of the ever-changing seasons and of the visitors who arrive in Scotland to enjoy the warmer summer months. Sometimes the cuckoo’s call makes us reminisce about summers from our past, and of the long hot days spent outdoors.
Summer coats and new antlers
The majority of the red deer stags have shed their antlers and their coats have taken on a rough, dishevelled appearance. If one species goes through big changes for summer it has to the red deer stag. They shed their old antlers and enter into an intense period of antler growth. Growing as much as a few centimetres each week, a complete new set of antlers will be ready for the rut later in the year. Their winter coats turn scruffy and patchy before being transformed into sleek red jackets to complete their smart new look for the rut.
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