Typically when it is most needed the camera is sitting on a table about 15 meters away, and moving to get it will undoubtedly scare off all the amazing wildlife that is currently visiting...
Saturday morning and a bowl of porridge and coffee on the balcony that has a large Cherry tree next to it is providing an experience on a par with Springwatch...
Firstly the normal motley crew of Blue Tits, Jays, Nuthatch and Blackbirds are enjoying the feast of overripe cherries on the upper parts of the tree. They are then joined by around four Blackcaps, what fantastic little singers they are, with the Golden Oriels in the background unseen with their melodious song it is a real treat to just listen.
Then bounding across the grass from the pine stand comes a small - I never realised how much smaller than those bully boy greys they are - and fabulously coloured Red Squirrel to join the cherry bonanza... making short work of reaching the top of the tree - which is about 1 meter higher but only 2 meters from my seat on the balcony - he throws himself around on branches that are mere twigs in reality. His powers of balance are being tested to the fullest as he goes for the plumpest and blackest cherries that are on the ends of these twiglet like branches, he then sits in the iconic squirrel pose and makes short work of the cherry selected.
Meanwhile on the ground the female Roe Deer has made an appearance and is grazing on the grass around the tree and the leaves on the lower branches, not sure if she is sampling the cherries though...
The squirrel eventually runs back to the pine trees and leaps through the branches and I have the Mission Impossible music running through my head... Next to visit is a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker again seems to be the cherries that are the attraction.
Then briefly a flash of yellow and a greener yellow as two Golden Oriels briefly fly between the pines and then again they disappear... probably never going to get a photo of them at this rate!
As I write this Sunday morning, I have just had the male Roe Deer outside the French doors with my old cat Ella sitting outside looking fascinated by it, a short while later I see a flash of black and white and then brown in my peripheral vision, looking around I see the cat being chased by the female Roe Deer - not sure if it is trying to kill the cat or play... - Ella bolts under the balcony area and dives under a workbench that sits there, with the deer the other side front legs splayed as she puts her head under the bench.
Cornered Ella's fighting spirit kicks in a lot of hissing and waving paws at the deer ensues, the deer backs off and then stands watching the cat, with to be honest what seems to be genuine curiosity rather than malice. As I have the camera to hand this time I managed to get a couple of shots of her here - although unfortunatly not any of the Cat/Deer encounter.
As I am taking a few shots of her I can see rippling under her skin around her belly, the only thing I can think is that although she doesn't look that big, she must have a pretty active fawn inside her and as it moves around you can see the leg/head or whatever it is bulging out under the skin - maybe there will be a new addition to garden deer shortly?
