It would be appropriate to start this post with a fox. I saw four in the garden last night - a young pair with two cubs, and there may be more; it's hard to tell when they're all dashing madly about. Unfortunately, photographing foxes in the garden at night is next to impossible without a tripod (500mm and 1/15 while handheld is awkward to say the least), and the photo will only hint at the suggestion of a fox's presence



Hopefully I will get my tripod home soon, but this morning brought a gap in the thunderstorms and our second largest local mammal flying over the meadowgrass



Three roe deer! Or, to be more precise, a roe doe with twin fawns.





They're young enough to retain some white spots on their thighs.



They didn't linger long, and neither did the break in the weather. This is the summer of thunderstorms, and the ground is very wet underfoot, but the North Downs mammal population seems visible despite the deluges. It is strange to suddenly encounter hills and full-size trees - and hear the parakeets calling - but I'm certainly not displeased with the wildlife sightings so far. Hopefully the next few days will bring better fox photo opportunities, and I can start to get to know this little group.