Sunday 12 October 2008

The sleeping stag - # 08/241

The Autumn leaves have suddenly fallen and the sunlight now floods through the wood at a low angle casting delightful patches of light and shade and highlighting the contrasts of early Autumn colours. Some greens still persist, some half green half golden brown shows where Summer is making a last stand against winter.

Pressing deep into the secluded woods of Richmond Park we find deer and squirrels feeding on fallen chestnuts, and suddenly come across the unexpected..........a stag, around 12 or more years old judging by his points (they are hard to count accurately), is fast asleep.

10 comments:

  1. Aw, what a gentle (and I think) unusual find.

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  2. That's a nice and unexpected find!

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  3. Well I hope you're right cause he sure looks..... well you know. I will take your word for it. Pretty brave to get that close.

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  4. virginia - I thought the same thing - you know - snuffed!!!

    It is such an amazing shot - a one in a million. Where was Mum do you think????

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  5. Obviously YOU have not been sleeping while I was away. Some superb photos that I had the pleasure to see now!

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  6. @Virginia & Jules...No, I assure you he's just asleep. I watched him as he nodded off and his head sunk down. I also kept an eye on him, making sure he didn't get upset! When I got upwind of him he started to look at me in that intense way they have. Rutting is in full swing and the boys are quite agressive.

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  7. Beautiful shot of a beautiful animal...

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  8. The stag was lucky it wasn't Sarah Palin who was foraging in the woods that evening.

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  9. Looks haggard, must've been busy!

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  10. I thought at first he was dead! Amazing he didn't move, didn't hear you. A superb capture, Chuckeroon. What a privilege to see such a magnificent animal at rest.

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