This is the heart-warming moment a young female deer allowed a crow to clean out her ears as she stood grazing with her parents in a London park.
Amateur photographer Kimberley Plumridge, 56, spotted the young deer, which she estimates to be younger than a year old, grazing with her mum and dad at Bushy Park near Hampton Court Palace in the south west of the city.
To Kimberley's surprise, when a crow landed on the deer's shoulder she didn't flinch one bit - and allowed it to sit there for more than five minutes.
A quiet word in your ear, my deer: Moment a doe lets a crow clean out ticks and parasites with its beak
Amateur photographer caught park meeting of two very different species
Young deer, out grazing with her parents, is visited by a hungry crow
Black bird perches itself on her shoulder and begins feasting from her ear
Doe stands still as crow pecks away for more than five minutes
7 September 2015
Daily Mail
This is the heart-warming moment a young female deer allowed a crow to clean out her ears as she stood grazing with her parents in a London park.
Amateur photographer Kimberley Plumridge, 56, spotted the young deer, which she estimates to be younger than a year old, grazing with her mum and dad at Bushy Park near Hampton Court Palace in the south west of the city.
To Kimberley's surprise, when a crow landed on the deer's shoulder she didn't flinch one bit - and allowed it to sit there for more than five minutes.
This is the heart-warming moment a young female deer allowed a crow to clean out her ears as she stood grazing with her parents in a London park
The bird's head could then be seen bobbing back and forth as it gazed into the deer's ear, sticking its beak in whenever it spotted a parasite or tick.
Kimberley, from Bracknell, Berkshire, said: 'It was amazing to be able to capture such a trusting relationship between two very different animals.
What have we got here? The crow perches itself on the young deer's shoulder after swooping in for a snack
This looks appetising: The little bird balances on its legs as it takes a liking to the grazing animal's ear
Yummy: As the young deer stands nonchalantly, the black crow buries its beak deep into her ear, munching away
'I was only stood about eight feet away and the young deer was aware I was there but didn't mind at all. She seemed happy enough to allow the big crow to stand around, perched on her shoulder too.
'The crow was fixated upon her ear and it was watching intently for ticks, darting its beak in every time it spotted one.
'It certainly got a full meal as it was doing it for a good five or six minutes, with the deer completely unfazed as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
Don't mind me: The bird stood eating out of the gorgeous young deer's ear for well over five minutes
Amateur photographer Kimberley Plumridge spotted the young deer, which she estimates to be younger than a year old, grazing with her mum and dad at Bushy Park near Hampton Court
'It was like there was some kind of special, unspoken agreement. It was like she knew the bird was doing her a favour so she let her go about her business. It was a great example of nature's unusual, symbiotic relationships.'
Kimberley, who works for John Lewis, says she was lucky to have caught the image as rain forced to her to keep seeking shelter.
But it was around 3.30pm when she got a half hour break in the downpour and spotted the deer trio grazing.
Bushy Park in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, south west London, is the second largest of London's Royal Parks, at 1100 acres in area
Amateur photographer Kimberley Plumridge, 56, spotted the young deer, which she estimates to be younger than a year old, grazing with her mum and dad at Bushy Park near Hampton Court Palace in the south west of the city.
To Kimberley's surprise, when a crow landed on the deer's shoulder she didn't flinch one bit - and allowed it to sit there for more than five minutes.
A quiet word in your ear, my deer: Moment a doe lets a crow clean out ticks and parasites with its beak
Amateur photographer caught park meeting of two very different species
Young deer, out grazing with her parents, is visited by a hungry crow
Black bird perches itself on her shoulder and begins feasting from her ear
Doe stands still as crow pecks away for more than five minutes
7 September 2015
Daily Mail
This is the heart-warming moment a young female deer allowed a crow to clean out her ears as she stood grazing with her parents in a London park.
Amateur photographer Kimberley Plumridge, 56, spotted the young deer, which she estimates to be younger than a year old, grazing with her mum and dad at Bushy Park near Hampton Court Palace in the south west of the city.
To Kimberley's surprise, when a crow landed on the deer's shoulder she didn't flinch one bit - and allowed it to sit there for more than five minutes.
This is the heart-warming moment a young female deer allowed a crow to clean out her ears as she stood grazing with her parents in a London park
The bird's head could then be seen bobbing back and forth as it gazed into the deer's ear, sticking its beak in whenever it spotted a parasite or tick.
Kimberley, from Bracknell, Berkshire, said: 'It was amazing to be able to capture such a trusting relationship between two very different animals.
What have we got here? The crow perches itself on the young deer's shoulder after swooping in for a snack
This looks appetising: The little bird balances on its legs as it takes a liking to the grazing animal's ear
Yummy: As the young deer stands nonchalantly, the black crow buries its beak deep into her ear, munching away
'I was only stood about eight feet away and the young deer was aware I was there but didn't mind at all. She seemed happy enough to allow the big crow to stand around, perched on her shoulder too.
'The crow was fixated upon her ear and it was watching intently for ticks, darting its beak in every time it spotted one.
'It certainly got a full meal as it was doing it for a good five or six minutes, with the deer completely unfazed as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
Don't mind me: The bird stood eating out of the gorgeous young deer's ear for well over five minutes
Amateur photographer Kimberley Plumridge spotted the young deer, which she estimates to be younger than a year old, grazing with her mum and dad at Bushy Park near Hampton Court
'It was like there was some kind of special, unspoken agreement. It was like she knew the bird was doing her a favour so she let her go about her business. It was a great example of nature's unusual, symbiotic relationships.'
Kimberley, who works for John Lewis, says she was lucky to have caught the image as rain forced to her to keep seeking shelter.
But it was around 3.30pm when she got a half hour break in the downpour and spotted the deer trio grazing.
Bushy Park in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, south west London, is the second largest of London's Royal Parks, at 1100 acres in area
