Deer and eagle snapped gazing into each other’s eyes

The rare moment was captured by a photographer on a hillside in North Uist, Outer Hebrides.

STV News

20th May 2021

A photographer captured the moment a deer and a white-tailed eagle gazed into each other’s eyes.

The astonishing scene was snapped on a hillside in North Uist, Outer Hebrides.

White-tailed eagles are the UK’s largest bird of prey – but a deer breezed right up to the massive bird which did not seem to perceive it as a threat.

Andrew Fuller, 44, was 400m away watching the eagle when he saw the inquisitive deer approach the bird – while the two creatures appeared to stare at each other.

Andrew said: “This male white-tailed eagle was perched on a hillside 400m away, and I soon discovered he was in overwatch protecting the female sat on a nest a similar distance away.

“Whenever a bird came too close he would fly off and intercept the threat before returning to this perch.

“As I watched him sat there again having returned from a quick ‘nest defence sortie’ a new ‘threat’ appeared.

“The deer was at first oblivious to the eagle until he was within a couple of meters, looked up, saw the eagle, and physically jumped back and ran off.

“What surprised me though, was the deer returned two minutes later happily grazing near to and then posing almost next to the eagle.

“It was an incredible view into the behaviour between these animals as I never expected them to be so tolerant of each other.

“I also would not expect for the deer to be quite so inquisitive and brave to venture so closely.

“Why would the deer intentionally walk up to the eagle?

“The way they are both looking at each other from so close made me laugh.”