Beautiful pests

My fawns have been back again. I can't resist taking photos of them. I hope you don't mind looking at them so often. 

There were two this time, and I've since seen three again (but didn't get photos). I don't remember for sure, but I think this may be the same one in all these photos. They're just a little bit hard to tell apart - ha. But if you look at that little bump behind its shoulder, it looks the same in every pic. Whatever... just enjoy the view! 

Sunday evening as I was out enjoying the last rays of sunshine (and taking sunset photos), I happened to notice this in the garden:

I'd forgotten how much deer love that sedum! All the spent flowers (seed pods?) were gone, plus most of the leaves. I sprayed it with Liquid Fence in the spring, and they hadn't bothered it all summer, so I kinda forgot about it. Oh well, they sorta did me a favor. Now I don't have so much to cut back. Apparently they don't care so much for California poppies or alyssum.

Just one this time

I happened to glance out the kitchen window early yesterday afternoon and saw another fawn. This one was in the shadows between the evergreens and lilac bushes. As I was looking at it, I also noticed a couple of turkeys right next to it. They wandered off, and then I saw a cat there, too! They must've been having some kind of conference.

I grabbed the camera and decided to see if I could get a shot or two. Lo and behold, this one wasn't afraid of me, either! I got about 10 feet from it before it decided to trot off a ways. 

It was alone, so I don't know if it was one from the group I photographed before or not. It might have been, because early that evening, just as Courtney and her mom were leaving, there were two out by the garden. We encouraged Courtney to walk out and see how close she could get to them. She did get pretty close, but then she just couldn't resist doing a little jump to see if they'd run, and of course they took off. I had wanted her to try and pet them, but she might have been just a bit afraid to get too close. Sure wish I'd had the camera out there at the time, but it was getting a little dark for photos, anyway.

Lovely garden pests

Sunday evening when that combining was going on, Courtney's daddy had driven by with a truckload of soybeans and noticed deer out by the garden. Knowing how I love a good photo shoot, he texted me about them. I switched to the zoom lens on my DSLR, grabbed a jacket and headed out. Here's what he'd seen. 

They were three fawns. Triplets? Maybe. There was no doe around. Now I know who's been visiting my garden a lot lately, leaving tracks as they knocked tomatoes on the ground and munched carrot tops and a few flowers. Such beautiful pests they are! And this time of year, it doesn't matter much what they do to the garden crops, as they're about done, anyway.

I sneaked up very slowly, inching my way toward them, but they weren't very afraid. They were only slightly wary, and I was able to get within 30 feet of them! They even came toward me, quite curious about me. I kept snapping away, ending up with over 150 photos! LOL I culled them down some, but still have so many because they were just too good to delete. Don't worry, you won't have to look at all of them. Here are just some of my favorites. Enjoy!

If you're wondering what they were looking at so intently above, here it is:

Rainbow was getting tired of me ignoring her while she so (im)patiently waited for her supper. She had been wrapping herself around my ankles, then gave that up and lay in the grass with her back toward me, meaning she wasn't very happy with me. Then she gave up and wandered off to where she sat above.

The fawns stayed. I left with the DSLR and came back with the iPad and even got a few videos (but you'll have to check for them on Instagram... I don't think I'll upload them here, unless someone requests it). I finally left to get that combine video, and they were still there! Their mama probably wouldn't be very proud of them. I think they need a few more lessons in the ways of wild animals, but meanwhile, I sure enjoyed the photo shoot they gave me.

This made my day!

A couple of evenings ago, I decided to wander around outside after supper with the camera and iPad, just to see what I might find to take photos of. I almost switched from my zoom lens to the regular one on the DSLR, but for some reason decided not to.

First I saw this milkweed flower, which seemed extra bright and pretty in the golden hour sunshine.

Then I turned around, and much to my surprise, I saw this staring at me!

Was I ever glad I'd left the zoom lens on! It wasn't terribly far away, but the zoom was needed for shots like these.

It posed nicely, then trotted off for a different pose. Very cooperative subject, it was.

Such a dainty, lovely creature! I love how the spotted area of its coat looks like a blanket was laid across its back.

It stomped its little foot at me a couple of times, then off it went, showing off its feathery white tail.

What fun shots! Yes, my day was made! These are some of my favorite photos ever, and I think I'm going to print them all.

The fall of the pretty

Yep, the pretty leaves have fallen... especially after it having rained all... day... long... yesterday. This fall's glorious color is surely done with. Kinda sad... but it sure was nice while it lasted, wasn't it?

And here's what happens when you leave a few beets out in the garden.

I think my fawn is doing just fine! :-) It also seems to like pepper plants, and has even eaten the little green peppers that were left on.

Fawn update?

I went out to pick tomatoes on Sunday, and look what I found!

I tried to blame it on our son-in-law, but he had proof that it wasn't him. His mouth isn't that narrow. (Boy, did he luck out!) ;-)

Also considering that there were dainty little hoof prints by the tomato plant, I'm guessing it was my fawn back for a visit. Anyway, I'll choose again to believe that he/she is alive and well. Now if only he/she would stay out of my garden!

However, these were left untouched (and many more that are ripening fast now)! Aren't they beautiful? I think they're the nicest tomatoes I've ever raised!

So huge! YUM!!

Fawn update

Today I saw a doe and her fawn bounding across our alfalfa field. I don't know whether it was really "my" fawn or not, but I'm going to let myself believe that it was. :-)

Fawn update

No, I haven't heard the fawn again. No, I haven't seen it again. BUT... I've seen evidence that it's still around. I found little hoof prints in my garden this morning... alongside bigger hoof prints. Mama's teaching baby where to find good food, just as I figured she would.

It appears that tomato tops were the flavor of choice last night. Only one, fortunately... considering that I only have two to begin with. It'll come back. (And so will the deer.) The beet tops are really too tiny to make a meal out of yet... but they did get tasted. That's all the damage I could see, other than the tops of a couple of wildflowers that I have more than enough of, so no biggie there.

I have a couple different kinds of repellents that I've bought this year, but with all the rain we've had, I haven't used it because it would just get washed off, and I didn't want to waste it. It ain't cheap! I did spray the tomatoes awhile back, but apparently it did get washed off... or the tops outgrew it. They're sprayed again now as of this morning. At least the chance of rain is getting smaller... but it's still there.

Conclusion: The fawn is alive and learning. ;-)

Fawn update

I was just outside and heard the fawn crying again. I thought, "Uh oh!" So I waded through the long wet grass and alfalfa (it's been rainy/foggy/drizzly all day) to find it. On my way down, I saw Mama Doe again, so that made me feel better. She and I stared at each other for a bit, and then she took off. I continued on to check on her baby, saw it in the distance and called to it... and it came right to me! I loved that! Still didn't touch it, though. It looked to be in good shape, so I'm assuming Mama is taking good care of it. It must just be an insistent little one when it's hungry! :-)

And now I must go change out of my wet jeans and make us some supper, 'cause I'm hungry, too! ;-)

An added note: Hubby said tonight that a friend told him that when a doe has twins, which is quite common, she doesn't keep both fawns in the same place. I did a little Google searching just now and found this article by the Maryland DNR titled Think Twice Before "Rescuing" That White-Tailed Fawn! It said they can be separated by up to 200 feet! So it's possible that there's another baby around here somewhere. That could explain this one's cries... maybe a little extra loneliness and/or hunger pangs because Mama isn't around much.

You learn something new every day! At least this was new to me!

The fawn story

My apologies for keeping you waiting so long for the story behind the fawn videos... it was a busy day. I had to do the grocery run plus buy some flowers and get them planted before the forecasted rains come. Good job done.

So here we go... early this morning I was outside in front of the house and heard this strange noise. It sorta sounded like a bird, but the longer I listened, the more it sounded like an animal. I moved to the edge of the driveway and looked down into the trees for a bit, and suddenly I saw the fawn moving about as it cried. So of course I ran back to the house for my camera. I decided to brave the wet grass and potential for wood ticks and went down through the trees.

As I made my way to the fawn, I saw its mother also heading toward it. But then she saw me and ran off somewhere, so I continued to the fawn. Obviously, it wasn't very afraid of me. I snapped a few pics, then started talking to it, and it started coming toward me, which is when I took the videos. It actually came right up to me and sniffed at my legs, as shown in the center picture below.

It was so adorable, and I wanted soooooo badly to pet it, but I didn't. I was afraid if I did, my scent on it might cause its mother to reject it. So I took a few more pics and left, hoping the doe wasn't far away and would come and take care of her baby.

I listened outside several times during the rest of the day, and I didn't hear anything, so I assumed all was well. Until early this evening. I heard the fawn crying again. So now I don't know if its mother actually came and fed it or not.

Perhaps she hadn't been feeding it before, and that's why it was wandering around and crying? Or maybe she'd just been off grazing somewhere and was just returning to feed it when I found it this morning? And was off again this evening? I have no idea, and I'll just have to wait and see what happens. But I'm kinda worried about it.....

Thursday morning update: All was quiet this morning. Hopefully Mama Doe is doing her job. If I learn anything new, I'll let you know in a new post. Otherwise, let's hope no news is good news.

(Click on photos to enlarge.)

My day's been made!

Here's a little preview for you. Photos and story to come later.

Sorry for the quality of the first video. Hard to focus when it was coming right toward me!