Lying awake last night, sleepless but enjoying the moment – the darkness, the stillness, the quiet – when something truly wonderful happened. A Muntjac stag (perhaps the one shown here) started barking, a long series of somewhat low, hoarse growls, proclaiming his presence and territory to the night.
The modern world doesn’t interest me too much, the incessant media and celebrity frenzy, the burgeoning materialism and competitiveness, whereas the natural world never ceases to be a source of interest, excitement and beauty.
And lying there in bed, listening to this little (think about fox-sized) deer piercing and enriching the night with his calls, was a truly moving and deep experience. I have been lucky in my life in experiencing some very wild places with wildlife to match, and the sense of excitement and awe has never gone away. Lying there, listening to this little stag, was simply a moment of magic, pure magic.
FATman Photos 
Yes.
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Fellow travellers. 🙂 🙂 🙂
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“Sleepless but enjoying the moment”—how wonderful. And what a treat you had. I’m glad you are able to connect with nature so readily.
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Connecting with nature is (oh dear!) second nature with me, it is always there around me. Lying there, listening to that deer in the middle of the night, was inexpressibly moving and, indeed, thrilling. 🙂
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Interesting creatures. Nature is a balm that helps me ignore a lot of that nonsense, Adrian. Having these magical experiences is a true blessing. How nice to have it so close to home.
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Nature as a balm, that’s a very good way of putting it, Ellen. 🙂
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I’ve never seen a deer like this, Adrian. What a great sighting and terrific photos. 😃
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Well they’re Chinese. Jane, not native to the UK, and definitely with an oriental look. Glad you like the photos. At least a pair live in the “jungle” at the bottom of our quiet, secluded and unkempt garden, and we see them frequently. We also see a native UK deer, the Roe. We are lucky! 🙂
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What a fascinating animal
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Yes it is, Matt. They are not native to the UK, they have been brought here from the Far East, and they have readily adapted to gardens like our’s – LOL! >>> wild, unkempt and with plenty of nearby dense vegetation. They are mainly nocturnal but also about in the day if they are left undisturbed – as in our garden. The stags have a pair of slender tusks in the upper jaw.
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