Photographer catches amazing snaps of Highland stags rutting beneath rainbow
Stephen Davies, 47, took a trip up the mountains with his family when he stumbled across the two stags engaging in a fierce mating battle.
The nature lover had decided to drive up to Glen Etive, in the Scottish Highlands, on Friday afternoon.
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Hide AdBut he was left stunned when he saw the “perfect” spectacle.
Mr Davies from Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, said: “I was with my partner, stepdaughter and her partner who had come to visit us.
“We took a drive up and I saw one stag on the mount and realised that there was a rainbow in the background.
“I then saw another stag coming towards the other one, it must have thought it was eating food or something.
“It was then I thought this was just the perfect opportunity to take a picture. I could not resist.”
Mr Davies took a picture of the stags while his astonished family looked on.
The phone shop manager added: “I took the picture and when you see something like that you know you have an opportunity to capture something special.
“It was a wow moment. One of those moments you don’t expect to see.
“The family was quite excited to see that.”
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Hide AdThe picture was not taken during rutting season (September to November) and wildlife experts believe the stags were just “playing around”.
Alastair Boston, a deer liaison officer with the Deer Initiative, said: “Even though they appear to be rutting they are not as it’s not rutting season.
“But if their heads are touching before rutting season then they are just playing around.”