The View From The High Street

There are not very many places where you can get to see young stags testing their wrestling skills from the High Street.  Hampton Hill is is one of them.  It isn't an everyday sight - but when you see things like this you feel very privileged.

The photograph was taken on 1 September 1998.  Late summer and the start of the rut for the local red deer.  These are young stags and the contest appeared more friendly than serious.  With the older animals, like the one in the middle of the river, facing camera, there is no play involved.  The youngsters were very wary of him.  As soon as he came within two or three metres they got out of his way - fast.  When they were not fast enough they were encouraged on their way by a prod in the flank from an antler tip!  He also demonstrated another rut behaviour, raking up vegetation and then tossing it into the air with his antlers. 

There were around 15 stags this group and around half of them are visible in this photograph.  Two or three animals with antlers that had no branches were keeping well clear of the rest.  They were almost directly below the vantage point from which this photograph was taken.  Another animal, possibly more senior than any in this group,  was using his antlers to bring down forage from the trees to the right. 

What does one of these bouts sound like?  Actually this one was almost silent.  The only noise I heard was when the antlers were first engaged, when they made a rattling sound like children playing with wooden sticks. 
 
 

	Notes about the Red Deer, Bushy Park and about how the photograph was taken
	View street map of Hampton Hill
	Return to the Table of Contents.

Document:    hgstview.htm
Version:       1.21
Date:           1999/07/27
Author:        R.F. Harvey