A short walk in the New Forest this afternoon became one of those stand-out moments. Walking among flowering Gorse bushes turning a corner I came face to face with this Fallow Buck.
After a few seconds of watching each other, I was hoping he would let me raise my camera before running off or running at me! Not to worry he just looked at me allowing me to photograph him before I backed away and he walked off.
Another deer stalk – Fallow Deer in the New Forest.
New Forest Roebuck in velvet.
In a quiet New Forest location is a monument to an incident where King William the second was killed while hunting in the Royal Hunting Forest (New Forest) in 1100. The monument inscription tells the story on its 3 sides.
Here stood the oak tree, on which an arrow shot by Sir Walter Tyrrell at a stag, glanced and struck King William the Second, surnamed Rufus, on the breast, of which he instantly died, on the second day of August, anno 1100.
King William the Second, surnamed Rufus being slain, as before related, was laid in a cart, belonging to one Purkis, and drawn from hence, to Winchester, and buried in the Cathedral Church of that city.
That the spot where an event so memorable might not hereafter be forgotten, the enclosed stone was set up by John Lord Delaware who had seen the tree growing in this place. This stone having been much mutilated, and the inscriptions on each of its three sides defaced. This more durable memorial with the original inscriptions was erected in the year 1841, by WM Sturges Bourne, Warden.
Male Stonechat.
Sika deer with New Forest pony and Roe deer within a Sheep field.The less wild forest today!
Raptors on film, a short film of recent local raptor encounters. Buzzards – Kestrel – Marsh Harrier.
Buzzard from trail camera others from standard digital camera. All wild birds.
Local Roebuck in velvet.
So all four UK main breeds of deer spotted this month all in Hampshire. Other 3 in my post below.
Another end of a week with many visits to our local National park The New Forest. It has been a good week for deer watching which makes more pictures for today’s post. {so look away if you have had enough of my deer pictures!}
Today it was back to Fallow Deer a small herd of Bucks {although they are so magnificent I feel Stags would be a better name for this breed’s males}.
Fallow Bucks.
I also spotted a Fieldfare. They are a large, and colourful thrush this was the first time I was able to capture one in a picture.
Sika deer have a stronghold in the New Forest they are a close relative of the Red deer. Sika deer originate from eastern Asia and were introduced to the UK in 1860 In the New Forest, Sika were introduced to the Beaulieu Estate in 1900, and the New Forest population is one of the UK’s purest. Sika and Red Deer can interbreed so in the New Forest the 2 populations are separated by the main Bournemouth to Southampton railway line. Numbers are maintained at about 100.
This morning I was lucky to spot a herd of about 12 deer.
Continued Reflections from my World. 