Today I went to Bushy Park to see the deer rutting. The Red Deer are peaking in their rut and there was roaring across the park with stags running across the car park chasing each other.
That should have been todays photograph but it was raining so hard, the light was low and the deer were just too pumped up with testosterone to get anywhere close enough safely, even with a long lens.
Instead I found this rather sad looking heron stood waiting for fish in the pouring rain. He looks a bit like I felt with rain drops dripping off his tail feathers.
Wonderful capture! I can never get close enough to get a heron shot. Thanks for the Info 're the red deer rut. If it's dry this week I want to go to Bradgate Park which has a large red deer herd. I wasn't sure if they had started the rut yet.
@pamknowler We've been away but normally they seem to be rutting for a few weeks and then 'peak'. They are definitely peaking, I was trying to photograph a stag when he suddenly turned and I had to hide behind a tree for nearly quarter of an hour in the pouring rain, I kept peeking round to make sure I could see his rump so I knew he couldn't see me!! Not even a decent shot out of it as it was such low light in the rain. I'm hoping for some misty DRY mornings for a more atmospheric shot - good luck with Bradgate Park, I'll keep an eye out on your 365 for a better shot than mine! :-)
Maybe you could have captured a deer rushing past as a wet blur? :) But your story of hiding behind a tree indicates that you werw wise not to get too close. If there were a 365 award for courage in photography, I'd nominate you for it Emma! But this shot of the heron is beautiful with the ripples and the reflection, in spite of his down-in-the dumps-look. Maybe you should also receive an award for "Photography in Spite of the Weather". Anyway, this is definitely a fav for me!
