It's the time of year again for the roaring stags to produce their echoing sound in Jura's glens and on the hills. The Red Deer Rut lasts around two months and starts mid September. In this time of year the stags are at their heaviest and the roaring helps to establish seniority within the herd. With a Red Deer population of well over 6,000 on Jura you are guaranteed to see and … [Read more...] about Jura Stag during the Red Deer Rut
Wildlife
Red Deer Rut on Jura
We've made a tour over the island yesterday, all the way up to "Road End" where I parked the car and walked further on for a few miles until the weather deteriorated. Despite the few and sometimes heavy showers we had a marvellous tour. The Red Deer Rut is in full swing and this is the time that the Stags round up a group of females (hinds) for mating. Rivals have to be chased … [Read more...] about Red Deer Rut on Jura
Jura Cromie Stag
When Teresa Morris of Islay Wildscapes sent me the images of the Red Deer Rut on Jura she told me there were some special images of a Cromie Stag. I have done some research on the internet and came up with a fascinating chapter from a book called "The Deer Forests Of Scotland". This book, written by A. Grimble, was first published in 1896 and contains pages full of interesting … [Read more...] about Jura Cromie Stag
Autumn on Jura – Red Deer Rut
When the days get shorter and the temperatures sink, and when autumn paints the bracken on the hills brown, the red deer rut starts. The rut is a period when the biggest and strongest male (stag) rounds up a group of females (hinds) for mating. Of course every other male deer wants to do the same, but there's only so many females to go around. In order to maintain control over … [Read more...] about Autumn on Jura – Red Deer Rut
Oldest Golden Eagle on Jura
Jura has its fair share of golden eagles and when you make a trip over the island you are likely to see one of these majestic birds, not to be confused with Buzzards though. I happen to know someone on Islay who calls Buzzards "tourist eagles" because tourists often mistake buzzards for golden eagles. It happened to me as well but when you had the fortune of seeing real golden … [Read more...] about Oldest Golden Eagle on Jura