Ferny Wood - Patricia Sibley

Based upon detailed observation in the New Forest, this delightful book tells the story of Buckie, a fawn from a small herd of fallow does which the author was first privileged to observe just before sunset one magical June evening. Following this defining moment, the author, accompanied by her dachshund George, spent every spare moment watching deer - red, sika and roe but mostly the beautiful fallow deer. She observed the deer in all weathers, how they interacted with each other or with other wild creatures amongst the New Forest's ancient stands of oak and beech. Buckie's contacts with a variety of people such as those who befriend him, the local keepers and poachers are all described in realistic detail. Every November the author went to the New Forest to observe the rut, an exciting time in the deer world, when the great belching roars echoed out over twilight in autumnal woods, evoking a thrill of pleasure. Ferny Wood is a closely observed, lovingly detailed account of a deer's first three years of life and also an illuminating portrait of a forest in all its moods.