Around the yard . . . A cavorting deer!

These are terrible photos in that they're out of focus, not sharp. I was shooting through a dirty window at an animal that was at a distance. BUT THE EXPERIENCE WAS SO COOL!

I am walking past the living room window when I see the white buck. I pick up the camera that's sitting nearby, pre-set to f/5, ISO 800, underexposed by 2/3 stop. I take a few shots . . . am getting ready to change my settings when all of a sudden this guy has a major testosterone surge and begins zooming around, jumping into the air, suddenly stopping, posing, then kicking up his heels. (There's a doe in the middle of some bushes just out of frame to the left, which I believe is what instigated this adolescent behavior.)

As quickly as his cavorting begins, it's over.

And while he goes off to have a cigarette, I take a look at my shots and my heart sinks at their softness.

A white deer to me is exciting. And then to have a white deer do all THIS is bananas. So of course I had to share it with you even though it is far from my best work. I apologize. But the deer was cavorting! Hoo ha! ©2020 Carol Leigh

The white fawn story...with a happy ending

During the first week in May this year, a white fawn was born on or next to our property. We saw him all wobbly, trying to follow mom across our driveway. Here’s a link to that blog post: https://carolleigh.blogspot.com/2019/05/a-white-fawn-in-woods.html

The next time we saw him was July 18 and he had a very large wound on his right hindquarter. We figured maybe a coyote got to him. We worried.

Then on September 12, we saw that his wound was healing quite nicely. And finally, on October 7, it looked as though the wound had healed and he had no problem getting around.

I can tell by the pedicles appearing on his head that he is indeed a he. It’s going to be fun to watch him grow. Great story, no?

©2019 Carol Leigh

Around the yard: a white deer!

The big deal around here a couple days ago was the appearance of a white deer (and his buddy).

This isn't the same white deer we saw right after it was born May 6. Nope, I've been told this guy is a yearling, born in the spring of 2018.

Amazing to think that in the space of just a couple of months, we have had two white deer appear on our property.

So mystically wonderful, no?

All images copyright ©Carol Leigh 2019.

Around the island . . .

A solo deer on the bluff at Fort Ebey becomes the focal point in a landscape created by using my photos of the side of a fishing boat, cement patterns on a bunker, and a seascape... Insanity reigns! ©2019 Carol Leigh

A white fawn in the woods . . .

Just the coolest thing! Chris spotted this newly-born white fawn and his mom, quickly called me upstairs, where I photographed them through a dirty window, using an iPhone camera, zoomed all the way out. In other words, horrible photos, but we do what we can with whatever we've got.

Mom was licking the baby, who was having a tough time just standing upright. Mom then moved down the driveway, much to the fawn's dismay.

The fawn had a tough time stepping up 2.5" onto the driveway, but quickly adapted and soon was gone from sight, following mom.

We haven't seen them again this morning, but we have high hopes.

I've been told that these "piebald" fawns are the result of overpopulation, and because of their light color, are vulnerable to predators. Probably nature's way of "thinning the herd."

Their only predators on-island are vehicles. Alas.

Copyright @Carol Leigh.

Rabbits, hawks, and deer . . .

When Abby goes on "alert," we pay attention. What do her cat ears hear that ours don't?

It was late afternoon a couple days ago when she suddenly sat up, listening, and so I went to the windows to see five (five!) Columbia black-tailed deer chasing each other around the yard, kicking up their heels, jumping (straight up), leaping, zooming out of sight and then zooming back.

And it's not like they were fawns -- maybe teenagers, young adults. And it went on for a couple of minutes. Just the most entertaining, fun, crazy thing to see.

Then yesterday afternoon, I saw a large-ish bird fly across the yard -- fast -- and disappear behind some rhododendron bushes. Simultaneous with his landing, a cottontail rabbit zoomed from the rhody bush and disappeared into deeper brush nearby. The hawk flew to a tree branch, shook out his feathers, and then flew off -- empty talon-ed.

Bunny 1
Hawk 0

Works for me.

Happy Easter. Happy spring. Happiness all 'round!

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

Daily Photo 20190114 View from Fort Casey

A very quiet Monday morning and we are up at Fort Casey near the lighthouse, sitting and admiring the view.

A large tanker heads out to sea and a herd (6) deer graze on the lawn. One comes right up to me, I mean, right UP to me, and leaves only when it's obvious I've no treats to offer her.

We see this same deer approach a couple, and their TWO (leashed) DOGS. The dogs are barking, but the deer doesn't even flinch. The dogs lose interest, the deer moves in closer. "Anyone got snacks?" Apparently not. The doe moves on.

But what kind of deer isn't wary of a) people, b) people with dogs; and c) people with dogs that BARK?

We go back home. Where the deer are wary. The way they SHOULD be!

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

Good morning from Whidbey Island!

It's summer and the Columbian black-tailed deer's antlers are still in velvet. This guy stopped by yesterday afternoon, took a drink from the birdbath, and then went on with his annual (and continual) yard pruning. He moved clockwise around the perimeter; a few minutes later a doe continued the gardening chores, moving counter-clockwise.

Photo taken from the back deck, so hastily I didn't notice my slow shutter speed. So I turned the out-of-focus picture into a sort of sketch, hoping you wouldn't notice how bad it is. Focus aside, isn't the tilt of the head endearing? 

 

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

Merry Christmas!

Wishing us all peace, love, health, and happiness this year and every year.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Around the yard . . .

Looking out the living room window to the back yard, I'm seeing three Columbian black-tailed deer, enjoying the grass. Actually, they seem to particularly like the dandelion "bases" or "pads" in the grass, keeping them closely cropped, so that although yes, there are dandelions, we rarely see them actually produce flowers and puffs. The three rabbits out there do the same thing. Nice.

That's Antler Boy on the right, Doe-Doe in front, and Dody-Doe back left. Doe-Doe is attracted to Antler Boy, but Dody-Doe won't let her get near him, so next we see Doe-Doe relegated to the front yard, where she mends her broken heart by keeping the fuchsia bushes trimmed.

Do we have a problem with deer/rabbits eating our plants? Not this year. Last year they ate a LOT of the big hydrangea bush out front, and totally decimated the hostas next to the house in back. We have since discovered a product called "Liquid Fence," a foul-smelling concoction that we spray on the plants we want to protect. Deer/rabbits don't like the smell and keep their distance. We can't smell it within minutes of applying the spray, so it's a win-win product.

So this is what it looks like around here at the moment -- deer, rabbits, a lone raccoon the other day, three pairs of California quail, a family of at least two or three juvenile ravens who make a huge ruckus begging to be fed, towhees, juncos, lots of robins, a few Steller jays, nuthatches, brown creepers, northern flickers, a pair of pileated woodpeckers with one youngster, and (to the robins' dismay) occasional barred owls and great horned owls. It's a veritable jungle, and we are loving it.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Latest work: "Dear Deer"

The wildlife here on Whidbey Island includes a LOT of deer. There's a doe and her fawn that often come through the yard and I was lucky to have my camera at hand when the fawn stopped and looked up at me standing at the window.

I particularly like the spots on her back and her soulful eyes. I incorporated my photo with a number of other photos I've taken of postcards, postage stamps, and more to create this faux poste card.

The postcard was sent in 1910 to someone in Austria, an area called Steiermark, which apparently is known today for producing wine.

©Carol Leigh
 All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you!

Wild (and not-so-wild) kingdom . . .

Interesting interactions with local wildlife of late. We have a buck who visits our yard (whenever he has a hankering for hydrangeas). I call him “Antler Boy” — his antlers are in velvet right now. Anyway, the other day he was out there eating some newly-bloomed fuchsias and so I went outside to talk him out of it. As I was extolling the virtues of our neighbor’s gardens, he began walking toward me.

Part of me thinks, how cool is this? Part of me thinks hmmm, pointy antlers, sharp hooves. Maybe I should be concerned. I take a few cellphone pics as he continues his stroll.

And now I wonder, okay, do I turn my back and (as with a mountain lion) perhaps inadvertently encourage a chase? Should I play dead, as I might with a grizzly? Do I raise my hands to make myself look larger and menacing? Should I make eye contact or not? Do I bare my teeth or would that be the kiss of death-by-deer?

So I did what I do with my cat, who understands hand signals. I raise my hand, like a cop, and say (forcefully) STOP! And he does! But then he comes a few steps closer. Again with the hand and STOP! And yes, he stops again. OMG! I’m the freakin’ deer whisperer!

So, keeping my hand up, I slowly begin walking backwards toward the porch. And he decides to walk away. Whew! Imminent death averted!

There’s been more . . . more owls, rabbits, and coyotes . . . but that will have to wait for another day.

©Carol Leigh
 All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you!

What I learned today ...

I learned that the deer we have on Whidbey Island are Columbian black-tailed deer and that we currently have two does, a fawn, and a juvenile male meandering through the property. I also learned that they enjoy eating hydrangeas. Sigh.

This young guy, with velvety antlers, was wandering around in the front yard the other day. Painterly effect on iPhone photo using Brushstroke. Marginal image yet still rather pretty as I continue to limit myself to the cellphone camera and various photo apps. ©Carol Leigh

Deer Abby . . .

This afternoon Abby was making a lot of noise, staring out the window at the back yard. I took a look and saw, chewing on I don't know what, a female and a male black-tailed deer. The buck looked like this photo that I took in 2009, only bigger. (For a photo of the cat and the deer and the story, here's the link.)

Whenever Chris and I go out into the yard to scare away the deer, they look at us like we're idiots (no comment, please) and continue munching away. Well, this time I put the harness and the leash on Abby and opened the door. It was raining a bit, but Abby walked out a couple of feet onto the deck and the deer took one look at her and took off! Last we saw, the deer were about 100 yards down the street heading south. Abby shook the water off her fur and came back in, smug look on her face and a swagger in her step. ©Carol Leigh, unleashing cat power on unsuspecting overly large shrub-destroying rodents.