In Search of Bambi – Wildlife Watching at Woburn
Woburn Abbey, the family home of the Duke of Bedford is also home to some other residents – deer. Autumn is a great time of year to go in search of deer as you may get to see one of nature’s most amazing sights – rutting.
Rutting is when the deer engage in head to head battle – literally locking horns as they vie for the attention of the doe. The deer park at Woburn Abbey is home to many species of deer and is a brilliant place to visit if you want to see these beautiful creatures in their natural environment. Species include the Fallow deer, a native British Deer, Manchurian Sika Deer – originally from the far east, the stags of this species are particularly noisy during their rut, and you may see they will bellow or whistle! Also look out for the Chinese Water Deer – given their name due to the fact that they are brilliant swimmers! Oh and of course the Red Deer – they hold the crown of largest land mammal in Britain and are glorious to watch at any time of the year – the stags are particularly beautiful with their rusty coloured coats and large antlers.
Woburn abbey is also home to a pair of giant tortoises – made for the abbey by gillparker bronze animal sculptures, you may like a deer sculpture of your own as a lasting memento of these majestic creatures to keep in your own home.
Whilst you are visiting the deer, do take a look around Woburn Abbey if you get the chance – it is a beautiful historic building, that was originally a monastery, and was given to the Russell family in 1547 by Edward VI. Since then, the house has been gradually transformed into the stunning building that it is today, and is well worth a look around.
Of course, you must also visit the Abbey gardens, where the first ecological experiments in the world took place, later leading to Charles Darwin’s ground-breaking scientific breakthrough, the Origin of the Species.
So if you are stuck for something to do with the night’s drawing in and the weather cooling down – there is plenty going on at Woburn Abbey!
