This blog will begin each month with a nice post featuring a particular wild animal from Britain, Ireland and Europe. As this topic will feature what goes on in nature as the seasons change. It seems a pleasant shift from the gloomy supernatural posts that this blog mainly talks about. Last year I did a similar theme once a month about wolves being amusing and cute.
January is cold and snowy, with lots of wind, icy rain, frost and thick fog. However, despite the freezing temperature, it's getting more lighter. The countryside, parks and wilderness is packed with hidden animals and some are hibernating in winter. Nothing is active much, although the birds are awake and busy. Yet the sight of deer is a really magical thing to experience.
There are many types of deer found across Britain, Ireland and mainland Europe. In England, there are lots of deer species including red, fallow and roe. Interestingly, the male red deer are called stags while the male roe and fallow deer are called bucks. Female red deer are called hind, and also female roe and fallow deer are does. Young red deer are called a calf, while the young of fallow deer is a fawn, but a young roe deer is called a kid.
Sadly deer in the UK don't do very well in winter. Although British deer are physically capable of living in harsh cold with dry air, recent extreme winters with much rain and snow has caused a lot of deaths. Heavy snowfalls can come with periods of thick frost and layers of ice, burying access to foliage so the deer go hungry. People who want to help deer should follow guidelines. I will provide a link on info for that here:
British Deer Society page on feeding deer
Happy New Year!
She Wolf Night
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