Russell Turner | Happily Ever After

Happily Ever After

Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running

Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.

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A Deer In The Garden

by admin - 12:26 on 13 May 2012

I was chastised by Squirrel James yesterday – and not for the first time – for keeping the Pentax so close to home.

This is fair comment. While he camps out overnight to snap black grouse leks, digs pools in the forest to capture squirrels and their reflections, and yomps up mountainsides in search of ptarmigan, much of my snappery centres on The Rural Retreat's garden.

My explanation (it's hardly an excuse) is that I'm lazy and avoid discomfort wherever possible; Squirrel James is a proper wildlife snapper who puts much more effort into his art.

However, he might be tempted to stay home more if he had our garden. The latest visitor to be snapped there – by the Bushnell, it must be said, not the Pentax – was a roe deer, captured hurrying past The Nutella Tree after five this morning. Matchgirl has seen them in the garden before, during her lonely days before our paths crossed, and I've seen one in the neighbouring woodland, but this is the first time we've known a deer to drop by during my residence.

It could be that word has got around the deer world of the succulent young plants that appeared in the garden earlier this week. There's no evidence of nibbling, so this could simply be a lost deer, that we'll never see again, trying to find its way home.

Or it could return tomorrow with all its friends for a good feed.

As for my garden snappery fixation, we'll see what James has to say when The View Through The Living Room Window is published to wild acclaim some time in 2015.

Comment from James at 14:49 on 13 May 2012.

I'd bet it was after the new plants and was spooked by the sound of the Bushnell. They may be quiet but a click will be enough to spook the deer.

I also think you should do a snappery-athon through the summer. Sit at the window for every moment of light that the day brings and see what calls. I'd reckon you'll get quite a range.

Comment from Dee at 16:46 on 14 May 2012.

I think gardens are the perfect snappery places. I still have a photo of a deer playing with a pheasant under my washing line at the old house. You don't see that kind of thing while out in the wilds in a tent!

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