SCP Landscape Photographer West Coast of Scotland, UK".Fine Art Prints
(Capreolus capreolus)
Body length 95-135 cm
Tail length 2-3 cm
Weight 15-30 kg
Litter 1-2 young
Once a year
Life span 10-12 (max 18 ) years
Originally a forest-dweller the roe deer has adapted very successfully to life in cultivated land and fields and small woods, on the edge of towns. The roe deer is active both during the daytime and at night, but comes out of cover to graze mainly after dusk or at dawn. Like the red deer it grazes grass and herbs, leaves, shoots, berries, and mushrooms. During the summer it lives either alone or in families, but it congregates in to larger herds for the winter. Roe deer usually keep to their territories (about 1 sq km ) for the whole year round. The rutting season is in July and August but the young are not born until May/June of the following year; pregnancy is prolonged (latent) the young are born hairy and with eyes open and for the first days of their life they are kept in a shelter, the female visiting them only to suckle. After a week they join the mother who continues to suckle and guide them for many months.
A gallery of the Glenshellach Roe Deer of Oban
National media have reported throughout our harsh winter of 2009/10 the crisis of the Red and Roe Deer of Scotland. It is wonderful to see below that the small herd of Roe Deer that visit the Glenshellach marsh land on a daily basis are thriving and are indeed looking very well nourished and healthy!
The deer are observed here throughout the year.
At present there are five Roe Deer, two bucks and three doe’s, which all seem to be pregnant with their young, expected mid May to early June.
We have been very fortunate in recent years as the doe’s have on two occasions delivered very healthy and lively twins, which safely feed and roam the marsh land here at Glenshellach.
I will continue to update the gallery as and when the deer appear and the lens is in the right place.
I hope you enjoy some very privileged images of these very timid and beautiful (camera shy) creatures, that live in the shadow of their big cousins the Red Deer!
I am also pleased to confirm that our resident Barn Owl has survived the perishing winter and has been seen happily hunting over the marsh at dusk.
If you have any observations you wish to share please contact us:
