The Gathering

I took a trip to Windsor Great Park to enjoy this Easter Saturday weather.  I had originally thought to head to Bushy Park in the hope of seeing the deer, but felt that, given the weather and a bank holiday weekend, the traffic to and around nearby Hampton Court Palace would be horrendous (coupled with the 20mph limits now being set by many London boroughs), so took a shorter, quieter journey instead.

I parked up at the Ranger's Gate and walked up to the Copper Statue with its views along the Long Walk to Windsor Castle.  On the way I heard and spotted Red Kite, but the only decent shot I manage was of one briefly resting in trees (extra).

One the way back I spotted a few deer deep in the parkland, but managed to get closer to them. AS I got closer the "few" became "many", initially divided into two distinct groups of stags and does. However the suddenly started moving off and merging into the largest herd I have seen.  The main image picks out just one magnificent young stag watching the land around while his male and female companions enjoy the grassland.