Stack of images, Ashridge Estate, Hertfordshire

Red deer in the Highlands of Scotland

Oxfordshire

East Blean, Kent

Here is one of those once in many lifetimes wildlife encounters... I was looking for orchids on the embankment of a busy road when I became aware of an orangey coloured mouse at my feet. The mouse then surprised me by running up the nearest tree in front of me, which happened to be a one metre high sapling. At this point I realised it was no mouse, but a hazel dormouse - I presume a young one and not fully aware that it ought to be nocturnal yet! I took a few shots and then carefully bent the sapling over so that it touched the dense hawthorn hedge from where the dormouse had presumably come, and it quickly scampered into the safety of the dense hedge. I don't expect to have another close-up experience with a hazel dormouse again, what a wonderful - if brief - meeting.

Red deer at first light in the Highlands of Scotland

Early morning light catching a climbing Red Squirrel in the Highlands of Scotland

Roe deer in the Highlands of Scotland

I have times when I can;t resist a play to produce something arty-farty and a bit of a marmite shot (love or hate!) but I could see this printed on a card on the shelves in the supermarket or rspb shop stuff .... she was digging furiously in bare soil instead of in grass and I didn;t like the soil - hence the play!

Badger in the Highlands of Scotland

Red deer stag on the hills of Strathglass

Red Squirrel in Winter, Scottish Highlands

Red Cage (Clathrus ruber) stacked image - complete with plenty of flies!

Carabus problematicus on a frosty morning, Hertfordshire.

another shot of this attracvtive carabid (ground beetle) found in leaf litter at NT Ashridge, Hertfordshire.

Red squirrel in the Highlands of Scotland

3 more photos of the weird and wonderful red cage fungus, Dorset

These alien life forms are actually the fruiting bodies of a species of fungus that originates from Australia. They are thought to have been established in the New Forest for over a century, and their spores are dispersed by insects and molluscs which are attracted to the foul-smelling blackish slime that contains the spores. Isn't nature fantastic?! Huge thanks to Keith and Chris for putting me on the right track to finding them!

Female red squirrel in the Highlands of Scotland

Red squirrel in the Highlands of Scotland

Red deer hind and young on the hill at sunrise, Highlands of Scotland

Roe deer in the Highlands of Scotland

the spores of this species of fungus are spread by insects such as flies which are attracted to its smell and appearance.

Red deer stag in the Highlands of Scotland

male, Buckinghamshire

These impressive moths continue to show up in the Oxfordshire moth trap set by my Biologist son.

Evarcha falcata, male. Nice to see these charismatic jumpers are still going in my patch.

I think, rather than acorn weevil, but I could certainly be wrong. Oxfordshire

Thanks to Chris for the ID of the orange fella!

Oxfordshire

Red deer stag silhouette in Strathglass

Red Squirrel

Stags at Beinn a' Bha'ach Ard Strathglass in the Highlands of Scotland

looking quite tropical on a fresh leaf

Red deer stags in the Highlands of Scotland

Red deer stag in the Autumn sun, Highlands of Scotland

Far from a perfect shot, but great to see at ground level.

Sika deer above Loch Ness in the Highlands of Scotland

the spores of this species of fungus are spread by insects such as flies which are attracted to its smell and appearance.

this is a stack of 4 images, whereas the next photo is a single frame.

Red deer stags silhouetted in the Highlands of Scotland

whoever came up with the common name had been reading too much Beatrix Potter. Still, a fine looking bug though!

Oxfordshire

Brightening up the leaf litter in New Forest, Hampshire

Young red deer stag in the Highlands of Scotland

A far from perfect shot, but lovely to see one at my feet, Buckinghamshire

go large to see those disruptive-camouflaging white hairs on the body and legs that break up the outline of the animal when it's on lichenous tree bark. Purbeck, Dorset.

The same pristine individual found overwintering in my local woods as the previous photo, but this time gently moved to a leaf rather than on the more appropriate lichen background.