Do not leave Richmond Park without taking a look at the resident Fallow Deer. They roam freely in co-existence to the Red Deer. Unfortunately we left the tripod in the car after having breakfast in the cafe, in order to lighten our load just a little. As a result this shot is a little unstable, but we were still able to give a good shot to the activities of the Fallow Deer during the breeding season.
During this shot, a Fallow Deer buck (male) checks the does on this rutting stand to establish as to whether they are yet in season (ready to mate). In doing so he attempts to mount onto one of the females; she refuses and a chase followed.
Listen, during the chase, the sound the buck makes. They find this voice during the rutting season in October and early November. Fallow do not roar, unlike the red deer, but instead make a grunting sound during the rutting season.
You could try to imitate this yourself. The best way to do this is to grunt whilst breathing in (without choking!)
This shot was taken on Saturday 16 October 2010 at Richmond Park in London.