Roe deer taking a stroll along a shallow part of lake, seemingly without a care in the world.

Of the six species of deer living freely in the UK, only the red deer and the roe deer are native. The roe deer is widespread throughout Europe, and as far east as Iran. It's habitat includes woodland, heathland, grassland, as well as farmland. With the exception of Wales, where they tend to be rare, it is estimated that in England and Scotland there are half a million. In the absence of natural predators, such as bears, lynx and wolves, they nevertheless, continue to be cautious, preferring not to be too visible and exposed.

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Wishing you a happy and blessed day!

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My take of the Aurora from a couple of photos taken on a recent trip to Norway. The aurora, takes its name from the Latin, meaning mystic dawn, and is brought about by charged particles from the sun reacting with gases in the atmosphere around the magnetic poles of the earth. As well as having the midnight sun through from May to July, it is a yet a further spectacle enjoyed by the four million people who call the Arctic their home. The lighthouse is that on the island of Godøya, a small island on the west coast, near the art nouveau town of Ålesund. It is the Alnes lighthouse, which takes its name from the small fishing village where it is situated.

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If you have not done so already, meet Albie, the lone albatross in the northern hemisphere, which at some point has flown off course from the southern oceans.

It spends much of it time around the Baltic Sea, near Denmark and Germany, but more recently has spent the occasional spring and summer at Bempton Cliffs in East Yorkshire, making its home among a large colony of breeding gannets. It must be clearly longing for a mate.

Inspite of its 2.4 metre wingspan and aerodynamic glider-like wings which they rarely flap, it is highly unlikely it will ever make its way back to where it belongs, because of the effort involved and crossing the windless equator.

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This spectacular beauty, the male of the species, is widespread throughout Europe, but also extends into Africa and Asia, north of ther tropics.

Often mistaken for a butterfly, it spends the daylight hours frantically searching for the larger, but dowdier blue-grey female. With the help of feathery antennae they able to detect them several miles away. Fuelled by fat reserves, it has no mouthparts and survives only for a short period of time in order to mate.

Now is the time to see them. To attract them you need to use pheromones. Getting them to open their wings is the next step in the process; some are more obliging than others. This one seemed to be just peeping through!

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Tags:   COTH5 Sunrays+5

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Natural, unassuming beauty on a relaxed sunny day with friends in the park.

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