Today is the autumn equinox in the northern hemisphere – marking the end of summer and the first day of autumn.
Rob Stothard captured these lovely photos of a misty Richmond Park in southwest London as the annual deer rut (breeding season) begins.
The park is home to around 345 red deer and 315 fallow deer. The deer rut takes place in autumn. The red stags and fallow bucks compete for females (known as hinds and does respectively) with a clashing of antlers. The males also decorate their antlers with ferns and roar and bark in a bid to attract females.
