Still damp and just hours old, it struggled up about five feet away making an awful squawking noise and made its first wobbling steps toward the woods.
Here's the spot where it was laying among the wildflowers just a few yards from the house. Amazing it could hide in so little cover, but it did. I was concerned since I've read that newborn fawns don't have a scent which keeps them safe from predators like coyotes which we also have.
Not to worry since the doe showed up shortly and circled around that same spot. By her behavior we're pretty sure she found her baby and was just making sure all was safe. They must be used to their fawns moving while they are gone.
Quite a sight in the back yard. We'll see them both again as we keep water out for all the animals in the neighborhood and I'm sure the little one will want to test out all my plants. Just another mouth to feed with my precious plants. Oh well, so goes the delicate balance....
Aw, sweet! You are too kind--I know deer can decimate a garden pretty fast! We rarely see deer here at my house, because the forest is surrounded by houses, but my parents have always lived in places with lots of deer. And they've had so many plants eaten down to the stump. Beautiful creatures, though!
ReplyDeleteOver time I've learned what not to plant and it works out pretty well but young ones will test every plant. They pull up the ones they don't like.
DeleteAw, what a cutie! I have squirrels that like to come right up on our deck and fish around in the bird feeder. When I open the slider, it sometimes startles them so much, they jump up in the air. Fun to watch!
ReplyDeleteI wish our squirrels would jump, they just ignore my efforts to shoo them away from the feeders.
DeleteIt's adorable, I haven't seen any up close like that. We had a mother with twins here last year. They like my apple trees. I left my gate open by mistake on my squash bed and they came in and ate all my crookneck squash plants to the ground. You have a much more hospitable attitude than I do. My problem is that there is a lot of wild native browse for them, things they should want to eat, but they prefer my hard-grown garden plants instead. Oh, and I counted 5 for much of the summer. Fences fences and more fences.
ReplyDeleteWe like our back yard open to the woods so it's a balancing act. My garden plants are covered with netting because other animals go after them as well.
DeleteWhat an adorable baby! I say that as someone who has never had deer in his garden. Maybe I'd have more mixed emotions if these large, fast-moving, four legged slugs ate my plants on a regular basis. AND rubbed their horns against my agaves and Bismarckia nobilis!
ReplyDeleteMany of your plants, like hosta, are deer favorites. I wasn't a gardener when we bought the house so now I work around it.
DeleteSo cute! Easy for me to say though, not a deer in sight around these parts.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine my garden without them now.
DeleteOh my....adorable!
ReplyDeleteThey are and that's the only one I've seen so far this year.
DeleteNice find!!! I'd have been thrilled at this sighting. Lovely colors of the new fawn. Congrats:) A true wildlife garden.
ReplyDeleteWe have all kinds of wildlife here and it does make it fun.
DeleteWooow! What an adorable baby!! And it's amazing you can get shots of them!! I also amazed that you can find them in your neighborhood:) I envy you. Have a good weekend!
ReplyDeleteThank you Keity, enjoy yours too.
DeleteAwe...how sweet and a wonderful opportunity to have been so close to this fawn. They must feel very comfortable in your garden.
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty amazing, I do think they don't seem to notice a difference.
DeleteDeer are so beautiful. They are incredibly overpopulated here and cause a lot of accidents. But it would be wonderful to see a fawn so close. :o)
ReplyDeleteAccidents are a problem here too and there are relocation programs for them but the community has decided to keep some around despite the issues.
DeleteOh how special. Ours are tucked away in the wooded areas right now...we usually don't see them out and about until July.
ReplyDeleteThis same thing happened to my neighbor last year, they must think our yards are just part of their habitat which continues to shrink.
DeleteOh, how I'd love to have been there to have seen that in person. You are very blessed to be surrounded by such beauty, Shirley.
ReplyDeleteIt is quite amazing given that we live in a very busy part of the city.
DeleteBabies of all kinds are born cute as a self-defense mechanism, but most animals pretty much stay that way and make it hard to hate their destructive tendencies. The does around here have not introduced their young'uns at such an early age. You must be trusted.
ReplyDeleteIt might also be that they have fewer options in the city. Despite the woodsy look of my yard, the doe is within view of high-rise hotel guests and could easily walk to Costco if she needed to.
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