After the Roe again

It's 4:45a.m and I am on the way to Thetford Forest once again. I arrive in plenty of time and this time I have remembered my tea bags, so I pull into a gateway in the forest to wait for first light.It isn't long in coming, so I drive along one of the forest byways to see what is up and about.

Straight away I start to see Roe Deer out on the fields feeding and the on the edges of the shelter belts as I drive along the byway.Before I left for the forest, I had a plan in mind, so I drive to a different part and park up to walk the rides as the sun is coming up. And I'm in luck as I soon come across a Roe buck with his antlers in velvet.It's quite tricky getting shots of him due to the tall grass he is in and the low morning light. Though I do manage to get a few pleasing shots of him before he disappears into the thicker woodland. Already I have more photos than I took in the whole day the last time I was here!

As soon as the sun rises above the trees the Roe just melt back into the woodland and vanish. Though I do find as ever the odd muntjac  to stalk, and I spend the next couple of hours doing just this as well as trying for a pair of Stonechat and the occasional Woodlark. Then it's time for a coffee, so it's off to the Brandon Visitor Center. While there I take the chance to have a good look at the map for other byways to explore.

For the next four hours or so, I bump my way along some of these byways. I have the highlight of another pair of Stonechat and also three Buzzards up high and displaying to each other. No Roe Deer though. Then, out in the open wheat fields, on the edge of the forest, I come across two different family groups of Roe. And very obliging Roe they are too! Several photographs later and I am a very happy bunny!!

Now I can relax a bit. I decide to go back to where I started out this morning to walk the rides again. Along the first ride I bump into a couple who point me in the direction of a small pool where they have been watching Bramblings come down to drink.I soon find the pool, though puddle would be a better description! Unfortunately the sun is behind the trees and the pool is in shade though it is still possible to take photos on a higher ISO number.

For the next hour or so I watch and click away as Bramblings, Goldcrests, Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Coal, Great and Blue Tits, Siskins, Yellowhammers and Redpolls come to drink. Amazing! Especially when you are standing only ten feet away! I then ended the day by wandering the rides untill dusk getting a few more photos of Muntjac and a Woodlark. Sometimes, things do fall into place quite nicely.