South Gloucestershire, November 2014

A colleague at work recently acquired an ex-racehorse and offered me the opportunity to take some pictures of him in action on a lovely cold and sunny morning near Badminton in South Gloucestershire. His name is Milka and in his racing career of just three races he didn't do very well. Nevertheless, he still has a great turn of speed and looks magnificent galloping across the countryside.

Exmoor, October 2014

The first of a few pictures from a fortnight on Exmoor. I spent some early mornings and evenings attempting to photograph deer in three different places: the high moor, the lower slopes of the moor, and further down just above the wooded valley of the River Barle.

On the high moor I came across two groups of red deer, an older stag with approximately 20 hinds and juveniles, and a younger one with just a few. The older stag spent the early morning watching the younger and bellowing to keep him away.

The lower slopes proved to be unfruitful, but above the Barle valley, a stag and a few hinds would appear just before dusk in an ungrazed field. Despite the handicap of just one eye, few other stags ventured into his territory. Those bellowing from the woods were kept at bay with a few roars from himself, even when sat down. But one larger stag did venture out late one evening.

A few other subjects caught my eye on my travels: sheep sheltering from the rain near Mounsey Hill Gate, a highland cattle calf at Alderman's Barrow, fly agaric fungus at Robber's Bridge, a pale tussock moth caterpillar in the steep-sided East Lyn River valley, and Colbone Church nestling in a remote, secluded wooden valley about 2 miles from Porlock Weir.

The autumn colours were spectacular this year, in the higher valleys...

...and with water along the lower East Lyn River valley.