A Picture for Sunday - Sika Stag

Had this stag used the twisted branches behind him as camouflage, echoing the shape of his antlers, or was it just coincidence?  He wasn't at all timid, browsing just a matter of yards away from a very busy path at Glendalough.  Just like the grey wagtail I photographed about half an hour later, he seemed used to an endless stream of curious people with cameras.

I was really pleased to be able to identify him as a sika deer, because this is a different type to the roe deer we see at home.  The roe deer are prettier (I'm biased), but seeing this solid sika deer has made me realise how scrawny the little roebuck is.  Our local deer must have been suffering in the drought this summer.