Driving into Chesnut Park in late September, the deer were right at the front gate. When I drove around to the back there were more in the parking area. No babies though.
When I got out of the car and headed to the back boardwalk I saw the babies. The twins were growing up quickly. I stood and watched for a few minutes as they grazed by. For some reason I love seeing deer out in the woods. Deer and dolphins seem to calm me not sure why.
Linking to My Corner of the World
After several stops by Chesnut Park on the way home from work, I finally saw a few fawns in late August. The rain had just stopped so the park was empty of people. The deer were all at the front of the park.
This one was taking a break while Mom kept eating.
These two were very curious about the lady hiding in the trees with the big black box in front of her face. They were hanging out with Mom near the ranger station. I was pretty far back so I could fit them in with my 300mm lens but they kept an eye on me.
I could barely make out this barred owl high above me in a tree. A few seconds later he flew off farther into the woods, chasing after Mom.
Later I was walking the back boardwalk and heard a weird howl. I was looking high up in the trees thinking it was an injured squirrel but couldn’t find anything. Then I looked straight out into the swamp and the juvenile owl was sitting right in front of me. He’s still got baby fuzz around his head. I couldn’t find Mom but I’m sure she was somewhere close by.
Nearby was a squirrel with a snack.
Not many birds around in early August.
I had heard there were twin fawns at the park. After looking all morning I saw them for a second deep in woods.
A doe resting near the boardwalk.
Pink and green on the trees after the rain.
I spent a few minutes with another deer family in early September at Chesnut Park. I saw them crossing the street while driving into the park, then saw them again on the back trail.
Later, I caught this young buck by the swings. It was a quiet morning, otherwise they would all be hiding in the woods.
Linking to Wednesday Around the World.
I left work while it was still raining in early August hoping Chesnut Park would be empty of people due to the weather. That’s when the baby deer come out from hiding in the woods. Early on Saturday mornings when I’m usually there, the park is filled with joggers, walkers and dogs so the deer stay deep in the woods. It was still drizzling when I first got there. I quickly saw 2 hawks that were soaked.
I spotted a fawn staying close to the family.
Not sure if this was Dad or a big brother. It’s rare to see older males at the park. They usually stay farther north and come down to the park during mating season.
This little one had a sibling. Even though the rain had stopped, I stayed in the car to take these. I didn’t want to spook them. They continued to graze and I eventually headed home.
I stopped by Chesnut Park on the way home from work in early August to see if there were any baby deer. Since it had just stopped raining I was thinking there wouldn’t be a lot of people there so the deer may be out and visible. The babies usually hide on Saturday mornings with all of the joggers and dog walkers there so a rainy weekday seemed like a good chance to see them. After walking around for a while I was leaving and saw some spots in the woods.
I sat down on a wet log and they were walking around in the weeds. There were two babies and one parent was close by.
Not sure what the parent was doing. Was she sniffing to make sure this was her baby?
Mom then continued to feed herself. After a few minutes, they headed deeper in the woods and I headed home.
A few weeks after my trip to Chesnut Park in the rain after work, I headed back for another walk on a Saturday morning. The babies are usually hiding in the woods on Saturday mornings since the park is pretty busy. I was lucky to see the above hanging close to mom and wandering around near the parking area in the back of the park. There was a male close by as well. In that last picture, the little one turned to look at me as if to say “What’s that furry thing with an acorn, Lady?”
Ants were hanging out on the flowers.
A young red shoulder hawk was hunting near my car.
An osprey flying by with breakfast.
The usual moorhens near the dock.
A tern hovering over the lake.
A Saturday morning walk at Chesnut Park.
