Thursday, June 11, 2009

Nature Notes: Searching for Wildlife and Finding A Fawn

Last week we had gone to my Mom's so I was near a rural road I had traveled many times and we decided to drive down about four miles and take a look at the man-made lake that had been dug years ago in hopes of getting some nice water shots. The road above is large enough for one vehicle so the need to be careful is evident. I took this photo through my windshield. As you see the weeds are quite overgrown and with a small stream running along the right hand side of the road I wasn't about to step on any slithery wildlife.
(click to enlarge)
This, my friends, was the highlight of the ride. A baby fawn. Now you must understand that I was probably twice the distance from it than my camera lens was capable of capturing but there was no way I WASN"T going to try for a photo to record the moment. Mama knew as soon as the jeep had stopped. I snapped and off she went with her little one wobbling behind. I cropped this from my original shot and even though it isn't a good quality it captures a nature moment I won't soon forget.
There were many lone does in the fields that day. All of these images are of different deer. Who knows how many may have had a little one hidden nearby. It has been so rainy that folks have not been able to cut their fields so hiding was easy for them.This doe was just off the road on a small hillside. We did stop and she let me take her picture. Did you notice the honeysuckle in the background?
We felt pretty sure this doe was hiding a fawn. Her actions were cautious. She watched us but never ran far.This is the same deer moving closer to the tree you see. She had just looked over a few feet in front of her before looking back at us. She never moved again as we continued out of sight.
As I mentioned a small stream ran along the road and in places I literally had to glimpse through the trees. I almost missed this wild turkey. It was over the embankment in dark vegetation. I have lightened the image so you can see her. She too began walking away but wasn't rushed - unusual movement for a wild turkey. They normally will run away. I was busy trying to get a good photo and almost missed her babies. Yes, she had babies with her. They were on the opposite side of her and almost below the level of the weeds. I saw one go over the embankment beyond and was disappointed I didn't get a picture.
When I downloaded these pictures they were so dark I barely could see the turkey but I tried lightening them and this is what I found. Look to the right of the tree and you can catch a bare glimpse of a baby turkey. If you look closer you can see the Mama's head peeking just around the tree.
As I sit finishing this post I'm glancing out my sunroom window and a deer is feeding in the field between my neighbor and I. She has a fawn. I've seen it once during an evening rainstorm. I'm hoping the doe will feel comfortable soon to bring her fawn out in the open. She feeds every evening at about this hour. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and my camera close.
A photo of a special nature moment is always what we strive for and it's still my goal; but being there, experiencing nature at its best, is worth every picture lost.
I hope you'll take time to enjoy the beauty around you.

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23 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful post and thank you for telling the story as well. I can see that baby turkey right under the weeds in the last one. I think that's it at least. And a wild turkey...excellent. You know what I noticed was the flash in the eyes of the deers. I'm assuming that's why their eyes look the way the do. This is beautiful. Mahalo for sharing :)

quilly said...

I so miss living where the wildlife wanders into my yard at night to feed. Thank you for sharing these with us. They brighten my soul.

Janie B said...

These are awesome photos! Thanks for sharing.

Rambling Woods said...

This was a perfect post to warm my sad heart tonight. You told the story so well Carletta...I also saw a little spotted fawn running across the pond. Imagine that your only way to protect your baby is to hide it..Thank you for participating in Nature Notes and for your prayers for my Mother...
Michelle From Rambling Woods

RJ Flamingo said...

OMG! Did you get a load of those *ears*?!? So cute! How neat to live in a place where deer just wander out of the woods...:-)

Rose said...

Oh, Carletta...I really, really enjoy your nature notes. Wish I could have been with you.

Lorelei is keeping me so busy...I don't remember being so busy with my own children. Did you feel that at all with Lucy and Lily?

DeniseinVA said...

Wonderful photos Carletta, just love your deer shots and the one of the fawn with its mother. How adorable, he looked practically a newborn. Fantastic nature tour, thank you.

Leora said...

You have a lot of patience for capturing the deer, fawn and wild turkey. I would have been happy with the lovely scene on the rural road; thank you for the nice narrative to go with your photos.

Gemma Wiseman said...

Lovely series of photos! I loved the explanations too! A beautiful experience!

Tom said...

My kind of road Carletta... love this post, pictures and writing both.

Tom

Nessa said...

We love wildlife spotting. You did a great job capturing yours with your camera.

JunieRose2005 said...

Oh, Carletta! I enjoyed this sooo much! Thanks for taking us along on your adventure!


Junie

Anonymous said...

So many times I'd wished my camera was in the car! Spectacular shots, here.

Carver's Nature Notes said...

This was a wonderful nature notes post and your photographs captured the scenes and moments so well. What a delight to see wildlife along rural roads.

George said...

I sure am glad you went down that country road. The photos of both the fawn and baby turkey are quite good, especially when considering how hard it is to get any picture at all. Thanks for sharing your photos and story.

Raven said...

Wow! What a great series. Thanks for taking us along on the ride.

Shannon said...

Beautiful! Quite different from the "wild life" back here. =)

2sweetnsaxy said...

What great shots! How awesome to just run across deer out in the wild like that and then to have one in your own yard. I've never seen one.
:-(

Pat said...

I love when I come across a deer, and it's even more exciting when they have a fawn with them. Great pictures - thanks for sharing them. I felt I was on the road right with you. We saw wild turkeys on our journey driving the Natchez Trace. I was told that down South wild turkeys are called, "chuck-a-lucks".

Willard said...

I enjoying reading the post as well as looking at the photos. This post is a classic example of how encounters with wildlife enriches our lives to a large degree and makes life more worth living.

Twisted Fencepost said...

They are all beautiful pictures, Carletta.
I love the first picture, the road with the overhanging rock is so familiar to me.

Bird said...

What beautiful faces these creatures have. And how lucky to see a fawn! I'm hoping I'll be in deer country next weekend and I'm taking my rubber soled shoes in the hope that I can walk quietly enough to see fawns too. Thank you for sharing these lovely photographs - and the wild turkey was an extra treat too!

Terry said...

oh that lovely deer carletta!
and he is even looking staight into your eyes!
no way could you ever forget such a memory as this!!
love terry.

ps i just love your winding road...you just never know what is around the next bend,eh?