A real surprise on an icy morning at Lodmoor was the sight of these two young male Sika quietly grazing in the reeds. I've only ever seen Roe Deer at Lodmoor before but these were noticeably larger and darker.
Any doubt as to the identity of these deer was removed when this superb stag came running across the marsh.
For comparison here's a video of some Roe Deer made a few years ago at Radipole.
The closest to Weymouth I've ever seen Sika before was a couple of miles to the north east at Bincombe. The species has recently spread westwards from Poole Harbour where they are very numerous. This video was made at Arne RSPB Reserve in 2014.