This last week I made a couple of visits to Dallam Park near Milnthorpe. Dallam Park is home to a herd of fallow deer which have occupied this deer park probably for a few hundred years. The fallow deer can often be observed from a large layby adjoining the A6 just south of Milnthorpe. They can be seen in the vicinity of the ancient deer house in which they can shelter in bad weather.On my two visits however the deer were on the western side of the park and were busily engaged in the rut.
On my first visit despite mobility problems I managed to walk into the parkland to obtain better views of the herd of deer. They were under the control of a dominant stag who was constantly on the move rounding up the hinds and youngsters and making sure the other young stags didn’t move in on his harem. It was exciting to watch the action and to listen to the belching of the boss stag. On a second visit the deer were in approximately the same area of the park and this time I obtained some images from the comfort of the car.
I was well pleased with my efforts with the camera and I hope you enjoy looking at the results.I am looking forward to catching up with the red deer rut soon. A visit to Leighton Moss drew a blank with neither sight or sound of some of the magnificent stags that live in the reedbeds. Maybe I will have more luck on a future visit. Meantime thanks for looking in hopefully the weather will settle down when Storm Brian moves on.
Brian Rafferty
I am based in Preston. Lancashire. This central location enables me to travel easily to a wide variety of habitats in the North of England. I tend these days not to travel very far as I find that there is plenty to see not very far from home. On my own doorstep are a wonderful variety of habitats - natural woodlands, open fells and hill country, unspoilt river valleys and I have easy access to the delights of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks. As you will see from my bird images much time is spent at the wonderful coastal sites forming part of Morecambe Bay and the Ribble Estuary e.g. Marshside and Leighton Moss. In recent years Digital Photography has taken over from Video and as time has moved on I have acquired more and more equipment - as you do!!
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