Pesky Deer

Felt like Mother Courage hauling my battle wagon around the top end of Bradgate Park today. The fishing trolley is fine for transporting my super duper lens and tripod over rough ground, but it does all get a bit heavy. To cap it all, I'd brought another camera bag too which I dumped on the top. Quite what was in it to make it feel like a tonne weight, I don't know.

Basil and I skirted the base of the rocks on which sit Old John and The Memorial and came to the area where we'd seen deer grazing during the day a few weeks ago. On the brow of the hill, I spotted a magnificent white fallow stag, probably one I photographed last year, with a small herd of young hinds.

Neglecting the paths, I dragged the trolley across the mown bracken towards them. They watched warily. Suspecting we were upwind of them, I moved towards a spot which would have been perfect to stand and take photos but something spooked them and they galloped off down the hillside to the next.

Here is the photo I finally managed to take at an effective focal length of 560mm.