Walking through Setthorns Wood near Sway is peaceful and relaxing. Hidden in the New Forest, UK, it's a great place to get away from the busy pace of everyday life. But on a recent walk while I was stopping with a friend, the scenery played second fiddle to a lovely moment in the woods. We had a close encounter with a small herd of deer.
Thank you to @untilwelearn and supporters for running the Phone Photography Contest - Round #122. This is my entry.
We were walking along the footpath when we spotted them. Several deer standing and grazing just off the main track. They turned their heads and spotted us right back. Usually, a snap of a twig is enough to send deer running off, tails raised in alarm. However, they didn't seem concerned at all. They looked at us with calm, curious eyes. Perhaps they thought we were just two slow moving humans walking through their environment.
One deer in particular was completely unfazed. It casually lifted a hind leg and had a thorough scratch behind its ear. It looked as though this deer hadn't even noticed us, but I'm sure it would have smelt us.
After a few minutes of mutual staring, we slowly went on our way, leaving them in peace.
