Head To Head

Although it was fairly sunny as the afternoon progressed, in the shady woodland around Dunham Massey the light was limited and so a very high ISO (4000) was needed to get these shots so they are soft and perhaps lacking in definition. That being said they are still quite nice images of some of the deer that call Dunham Massey home (or whatever the deer equivalent for "home" is).

The larger stags hang out together in small groups while the young bucks also group together and the females and last years foals form small family groups and could be found scattered through the woods.

Although the herd is used to the visitors to the park they are still wild animals and very timid and always on high alert so getting close was quite a challenge. It was quite rewarding though, especially when the two bucks started sparring with each other. It was clear that it was not a serious fight but they were definitely testing each other out as well as getting to grips with their new antlers.
 

Simply Snowdrops

 After my experimental film yesterday (which I was super happy with and hope you will take a look at if you haven't already) here are some more conventional shots of snowdrops as promised.

There is something special about these little flowers that come up so early in the season. It is still winter and yet they herald the start of spring. They can form impressive carpets of flowers which is why yesterday's images were so effective. But, they can also look stunning as individual plants or in small clusters as you can see in the pictures above.

Other woodland flowers that are coming through right now are cyclamen and aconites which are also really beautiful but they do not have quite the impact that snowdrops do. Soon we will see crocus, daffodils and then bluebells and then we will know that Spring has really arrived.

Staking His Claim

 This time of year the normally placid herd takes on a  different air as the stags vie for position as the rutting season gets under way.

I came across this magnificent beast in a small clearing with a group of about 10 females for company. He was strutting around and grunting at the top of his voice asserting his dominance. Most of the time he was pacing slowly and checking the hinds to see if they were in season, his advances were clearly unwelcome.

Moments before these pictures were shot the peace was disturbed by another young stag coming into the clearing and then being chased off noisily by this chap before he returned to keep a watch over the herd.

Oh Baby

 I had spent the morning defrosting the freezer, not the most exciting way to use a valuable day off work that's for sure, so after lunch I decided to head off to Dunham Massey for a walk around the deer park.

I am lucky to have some really nice places to visit close by where I can enjoy the wildlife. While you might think that photographing deer in a managed herd is not as special as photographing them in the wild it still has its challenges. Although the deer are used to people they are still wild and quite timid so it is important to respect that and keep a sensible distance. At this time of year as the rut is under way that is even more important because they are on high alert.

It was a real treat to spot this youngster in the first image, it was so cute.

Later on it was wonderful to spot another youngster feeding from its mother, it was such a tender moment to witness. I stood really still so as not to disturb this mother and child.

It was so good to get out even just for an hour or two and I need more moments like this to help clear my head and get a break from the pressures and concerns that sometimes can wear me down.

Fallow Fawns

The herd of Fallow Deer has been at Dunham Massey since 1352. They are well used to the many visitors who use the park every day however they are wild and wary, watchful and alert so you can't always get very close.

I wondered as I watched these youngsters how many generations of deer have gone before.

I think these are so cute.

It's Rutting Time

I wouldn't normally post so many images for one post so you're really getting your monies worth today...

I had left it a bit late to go to witness the Fallow Deer rut at Dunham Massey, last week the weather was pretty poor so I didn't go but the forecast for today was much better so I set off early to get there in time for the sunrise and to beat the crowds.

It was a very cold start to the day and the hard frost adds something to some of the images above.

If I was to try and sum up the morning I would say there was a lot of noise but not much action. The main battles for dominance have all been fought and so all of the stags seemed to know their respective place, some of the stags were carrying scars and bloody wounds evidence that they fought hard. The noise today was from the stags as they tried to round up the does and keep them close as you can see in the final shot.

I have included a couple of pictures of young bucks which I think are really nice, the one in picture number 8 looks like he is wearing a toupee and it made me smile.

Under The Greenwood Tree

This avenue of trees in the park at Dunham Massey provides a lovely shaded place to walk and the colours are absolutely stunning. 

I was really pleased to capture the shot of the deer in the first of today's pictures as the young stag slowly walked into view. Seconds later a dog walked arrived on the scene and the deer ran across the path and out of view.

I love the perspective in the second shot which is taken from a low vantage point and I think the contrasting colour of the walkers further along the path give a focus to the image.

Although the shot look better in colour because really the colours are what makes the picture I think it also looks really good in black and white. In this version of the image the structure of the trees stands out a bit more.

Beautiful Creatures

After a few days of abstract images I wanted to get back to what I like best, wildlife photography. It is always quite challenging because you need a lot of patience, you need to be in the right place at the right time and you need to right conditions to get the perfect shot.

I decided earlier this week that come the weekend I would go to Dunham Massey to photograph the Fallow Deer during the rut. Yesterday morning the sunrise was spectacular, the light was perfect and as I drove to work I wanted to cancel my visits and set off with my camera and take advantage of the perfect conditions. Of course I couldn't do that, I went to work and just hoped for the best that Saturday morning would be just as perfect.

Jump forward 24 hours, I was up early and at Dunham Massey in time for the sunrise but sadly the sun couldn't break through the thick clouds and a light rain started to fall shortly after I arrived. 

As a result the pictures I got have a rather soft and grainy quality because I had to use a very high ISO combined with a fairly fast shutter speed to avoid getting blurry images.

I was able to watch a pair of young bucks briefly sparring and the clash of their antlers reverberated around the woodland. The air was also filled by the deep bellowing calls of the dominant stags as they tried to attract the females to their stand.

I have never witnessed this spectacle before so it was great to be there for it this year and without doubt I will go back another time when the conditions are better but for now I will make the best of the images I was able to shoot and I hope that you like these and the others that I will post in the coming days.

I have selected a third image for you but before you scroll down to it I have to warn you that it is a distressing image which I will explain below...

This stag half walked, half ran across a clearing in front of me and I noticed that it appeared to be limping I wasn't able to see at the time why it was having such difficulty  but I put it down to an injury caused in a fight with a rival stag.

At the end of my visit however I spoke to a ranger about the herd and I also over heard him telling another ranger that a deer had been found dead in one of the pools and that it had been killed by someone using a crossbow, he also mentioned reports of another deer with a crossbow injury to its leg. The rangers were obviously saddened by this and I shared their feelings, even more so when I got home to review my photos and I found a series of this stag with a crossbow bolt through its knee. While this majestic and beautiful creature seemed to be getting around I can't help thinking that it is unlikely to survive this injury because the rangers will not be able to separate it from the herd and treat it, it is after all a wild animal. 

I cannot understand the mentality of someone who would shoot deer like this, hunting for food is one thing and culling to maintain a healthy herd is another but this is unacceptable and is the action of selfish, idiotic people who in my opinion are scum.

A Dilemma

So here is what I think is a great shot of the stable block and pond at Dunham Massey, the pond supplies the power to the water mill via the sluice in the foreground.

The dilemma I have is "which is the better image?"

In both I love the reflections which are crisp and clear.

I love the warm colours and the blues in the first image but I really like the black and white image which to me has more character. 

Let me know in the comments which you prefer.

Also can you spot the two deer soaking up the sun? You might have to enlarge the image to find them...

Cracking The Flags

There's an expression for hot sunny days that the sun is "cracking the flags" so on a hot day visiting Dunham Massey a short break in the shade of the orangery was very welcome. While there my eye was drawn to the shadows on the stone floor and I think it makes a really interesting abstract image which I hope you will enjoy.

Eye See You

If you'll pardon the pun...

You may have heard the expression "my eyes were on stalks" used when you have seen something surprising or unusual and that is pretty much my reaction when I spotted these unusual flowers.

This plant is Actea pachypoda,  White Baneberry or the Doll's Eye plant. It is not something that we would usually see in the UK but if you live in North America or Eastern Canada it might be more familiar to you. If you have a look at the RHS website you will find out how to grow these plants and it seems to me that if you have the right soil and light conditions you could grow it quite successfully because it is generally pest and disease free. It is however poisonous so don't try eating the berries.

Mystery Flower

So this is a greatly enlarged image of a favourite woodland flower. But can you tell what it is?

I love the way the inner petals curl back, they almost look like spools of cotton and the dark  pink adds depth and contrast.

It may be quite difficult to identify so I will give you a clue...

These flowers generally appear through the woodland floor before the leaves, curling upwards on spindly stems.

Please leave a comment if you think you know what it is. I will reveal the answer tomorrow.

Out Of This World

This humble Honey Bee is taking a short break on the petals of a Cosmos flower. 

I was going to post a picture of the centre of the flower because it is quite spectacular when seen close up and they are a lovely flower however I love this shot of the bee and decided that this was the right picture to share today. They are so industrious and having been really busy myself for the past two days I can empathise with the need to stop for a moment and take a breather.

A Stag Do...

The sign said "do not approach our deer, they may seem tame but they are wild animals".

They may be wild but they are obviously accustomed to the many visitors to Dunham Massey and so it was possible to get quite close for these shots. 

I think you will agree these are great shots of these beautiful Fallow stags. They seemed to be enjoying the early autumn sun but I imagine that in a week or two when the testosterone kicks in things will be a bit more hectic in the park. If you catch my drift...

In The Wash House

I shot this picture earlier today in the wash house at Dunham Massey in Cheshire. This was the part of the estate where the beer for the household was brewed and in later years it became the workshop for maintaining carriages and the estates vehicles.

I like the industrial feel of this picture with the strong lines, angles and shadows. I wasn't sure what the structure is but after a little research I believe it is an extending ladder or scaffold. It was made by Heathman & Co of Parson's Green in London who were makes of ladders at the turn of the 20th century.

It seems fitting to share this image today because  Parson's Green was in the news this morning and as a shout out to everyone affected by the events there.

Sixth Reason...

Only one picture for today the explanation is below...

So why did I choose this picture and what does the title of the blog mean?

Yesterday while I was driving home I was listening to the song 12 Reasons Why by My Life Story.  You will need to listen to the song (watch the YouTube clip) to understand why this refers to reason 6.

I first heard this song on the radio in 1997 while I was driving home after work, I was driving through Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria having been to Newton Aycliffe in County Durham.On that occasion the version I heard was actually the 12" single version and had 17 reasons.  I liked the song so much I spent some time afterwards tracing the single and eventually the album.  Anyway I hope you like the picture and the tune and I hope you don't mind a little bit of self indulgence on my part