Unexpected Visitors

I'd popped out late to capture an image before an E.B was my only option.  I ended up by a small pool off a green lane in the area.  I'd put on wellingtons and again they'd proved useful as the margins of this pool are very soft.

I'd taken a few images and then decided to create a time-lapse.  At the moment I'm practising changing the settings as the light changes around sunrise and sunset.  It seemed to be going OK and I was just minding my own business, keeping away from the gnats as best I could when I heard a kerfuffle to my left.  Who should pop over the fence a few feet in front of me other than an immature male red deer, closely followed by another.  

I'm not sure who was more surprised.  He had a comical second take at me we were that close, and then he took a step nearer.  I imagined feeling his hot breath on my forearm.  Oops, that's close.  I've been told they have pretty poor eyesight, but very good hearing and sense of smell.  I stood stock still and tried not to make a noise or let off any smells!

He took another look and then turned away from me and led his partner around the pool.  I'd not moved until now, so no photographs (other than the shots being taken every 4 seconds to compile the time-lapse).  

I unshipped the bag from my back as I had a second camera body in the bag and I could put the 300 mm lens on it to capture some 'bum' shots.  It was then two more suddenly came into view, practising rutting.  They realised there was a human nearby and soon quickly retreated behind large bushes on the filed margin.  I'd still not taken a photograph of any of them!

I managed to put the lens on the camera, not hoping for anything worthy of photographing when this stag came walking towards me from across the adjacent field.  I was desperately changing settings so I could get something faintly decent in the way of a shot.  The ISO was cranked up to 1600, the lens opened up to f4 and I just about managed to squeeze a 1/00th of a second shutter speed.  Thankfully the stabilisation was on and there was a handy post next to me to rest my hand on.  Even so this was one of the few in focus.

It was an evening for wildlife with 3 herons (including what seemed like one chasing another from his territory), buzzards, a fox and and owl hooting in the distance.