For a while recently our garden was visited by a mysterious nocturnal guest that made strange barking noises and left its calling card on our lawn. After an early morning walk in the snow of mid-February I noticed tracks leading from our garden, across the stream opposite and towards Weston Turville reservoir. They were clearly the slots produced by a small deer but I was convinced our mystery visitor was not a muntjac which are quite common in the wooded Chiltern hills. And then I saw it. Standing in the field opposite the house, looking at me. A chinese water deer. It stared at me for a little longer before trotting back towards the seclusion and security of the reed bed that fringes the reservoir. I have subsequently seen two whilst watching for bitterns from the hide at dusk. A big thank you to Richard Billyard who has kindly let me use his image taken from the hide at Weston Turville. Although I am not certain I think this could be a female as the males have downward-pointing 'tusks' which are usually quite visible....
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