Thursday, 24 September 2009
Autumnwatch
By Rob Ward, Forest of Dean
Website contributor
I was saddened by the loss of our white stag in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, in 2007 and I thought I would never have the opportunity to see and photograph one of these magnificent beasts in our forest again.
However, this was until Tuesday, 22 September, 2009, when I found and photographed a young pure white buck, probably around four years old which could well be the offspring of our fallen giant.
Although not native to Britain, the fallow deer have been present since the Normans introduced them to our forests during the 11th Century.
As autumn breaks near the end of September, the rut begins. This starts with fallow bucks thrashing about in trees to remove the velvet from their antlers. This behaviour can be heard from a great distance and the mangled tree limbs left behind act as territorial markers.
From mid-October through to the end of November the rut is in full swing, with groups of doe's gathering and bucks fighting to secure them as mates.
If an equally matched buck wanders into another buck's territory, a fight may ensue.
They will walk side by side until one turns his head - this is when they both lock antlers and fight.
By forcing his opponent backwards, the fight is a show of strength and the victor gets to mate with the does and keep his bloodline going.
Some fights can be deadly, as one false move could end in a fatal goring from the antlers and when the rut is nearing the end, the bucks are extremely tired - this is when mistakes can be made.
If you are lucky enough to hear two bucks fighting in the forest, the sound is like ancient warriors fighting with wooden swords and it is truly awesome!
Fallow deer come in lots of different sizes and colours, from black to white.
Although pure white deer are rare, they must not be confused with the true albino deer, for these are extremely rare and seldom seen.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/gloucestershire/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_8272000/8272689.stm
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There was a white deer seen and photographed recently in West Virginia.
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