So after some time since this was addressed by the Feb update, and after playing a variety of characters/classes, I really dislike the ambient life AI and how it handles Animal Empathy skill points.
Basically, every time my druid walks anywhere outside with "woodland" creatures the moment they perceive the character, they make a B line to her, stopping right in front of where she is walking, causing her to stop mid run/walk. It highly annoying to be stopped by the deer, birds, minks. It's at the point, where my druid is going to start clearing the forest of the idiotic animals. It's bad enough going to stores in real life and getting this same sort of behavior from the citizens of my community. (People stopping mid isle, lost in whatever thought they are having ignoring others around them.) By the way, the birds do it to my characters without animal empathy too.
While there is always some call for realism here, and debate over what form it should take- I believe that in the case of animals in the wild, they would tend to not move toward humanoids, or other species. The current form is way past realistic, to point of absurdity. All that my druid needs to gather the wildlife is to step into the wood- begin playing any Disney princess theme.
As for the birds- in general, before the On perceive any PC even fires, the birds often hover, amazingly never needing to fly anywhere.
The deer don't move away unless a PC stands right next to them, their perception range is too short.
Some of the worst areas where this happens is the hill road near the village of Barovia, near the ant mound. The deer swarm the road, and stay there, blocking the way off the hill.
And at the transition to the Tsar Pool vistani camp.
While I get that druids and rangers are friendly to the creatures of nature, I suggest rather than the "oh a druid! lets go greet them!" that the animals do, to more of a *deer dips head in acknowledgement of your druid-ness* (but stays where it's at) approach-