A roe deer doe, early on Sunday morning, photographed by DKG who said:
“A lovely morning in the park this Sunday. A few photos taken of three Roe Deer spotted near the footpath leading from Studley Green; unable to get closer just in case I spooked them.”
At this time of year, this is probably a doe and her more-than-half-grown twin kids. The rut is over, the buck (pictured here in May) has resumed his solitary life and the ever-vigilant doe will stay with her kids until the spring. She will drive them away just before the birth of her next year’s kids.
Roe deer are most active in the twilight at dawn or dusk and they graze near the woodland or thicket that provides their daytime cover. Both males and females are territorial; their territories often overlap so it is possible that this doe and the buck may both be regulars here. It is very unlikely that either is using the park’s woodland for cover during the day (there are just too many dogs) but there are copses and rough grassland nearby.
If you are an early riser who walks in the park at dawn, keep a look out for this little family.
All pictures by DKG
Another early morning walk with DKG:
Southwick Country Park Nature Reserve 
There seem to be a surprising number of deer in the area. They have been seen in the fields behind Blind Lane and in those by Brookmead. One was a regular visitor to a garden in Blind Lane.
Roe deer were over-hunted in the past and by 1800 were considered extinct in England and Wales. There were several re-introductions in the19thC; re-foresting and woodland planting in the 20thC have helped them re-establish. It’s lovely to see them in the park.