Category Archives: Wildlife

A Normal Spotted Fawn

by

2

When I looked out a back window of our home early this morning I spotted something small moving in our overly deep yard grass. Looking closer I saw it was a very small, alert fawn, huddled down low. I quickly got my camera with 200mm lens and made the following photos.

P1060114

P1060115

P1060113

The deer definitely saw me but didn’t move. At first I wondered if it was sick or wounded. Or if it had been abandoned by its mother. It was interesting watching it “watching” not only me, but also squirrels and birds nearby. After I made the last image below I decided to walk a bit closer to see if there was anything wrong. As I approached, the Fawn jumped up and ran into the woods next to the house next door.

I found out later this sort of thing is very normal. For those less than three weeks old, a doe will often place its fawn somewhere “safe” knowing it can’t keep up with the older deer. I just found it before the mother had a chance to come back. I also read that attempting to “rescue it” is illegal in some areas. Any doubt, call animal control.

I’m glad there wasn’t anything visibly wrong with the fawn, and if all goes well, soon it will be munching on vegetation just like all the rest that live in our neighborhood. Too many actually, but photos like these make me more sympathetic to that situation. How can you not love that face!

P1060118

Backyard Critters

by

0

It seems most of us have them … small wild animals and a variety of birds living close to home. Year around in many locations. Here in SW Virginia we especially have lots of squirrels and wild birds flying and running about the yard. They seem comfortable with us humans and aren’t too shy. Each in their own way can make a nice photo. However, you have to be alert, because they move quickly.

P1050940

I was fortunate to see this friendly squirrel sitting on our patio fence right by the door as I peered out. He didn’t move.

P1050943

Then today on a misty, cool morning my favorite type bird flew on top of our sundial to clean up seed I’d accidentally dropped after filling the nearby bird feeders. I grabbed my camera with telephoto lens and made this photo through the window glass over the kitchen sink. It’s not as sharp as it might have been had I been outside but these guys don’t linger so I had to get what I could. Photography is fun. Just keep your eyes open and camera handy.

Beautiful Moth

by

0

The Pandora sphinx moth is a North American moth. It is a large, greenish gray camouflaged patterned moth. It has a wingspan of 3¼–4½ females being slightly larger than males. Pandora sphinx moths fly during dusk. Some places see only one generation a year, while others see two. I saw one yesterday on the side of our house. Very beautiful and interesting. Lucky me I guess.

Action on the Water

by

0

Recently as I was walking along the Roanoke River, I spotted a small flock of Canadian Geese, feeding along the shoreline. The closer I got, they promptly waddled into the rushing water upstream, and began their escape from this intruder with camera in hand. Meanwhile, further downstream, a local fisherman was completely ignorant of my presence. He was definitely having fun, and I hoped at the time that he had been successful in his catch. It was “action join the water.”

DSCF4262

DSCF4259

DSCF4263

Wandering the Path

by

0

I could probably write a lot of philosophical words about the title of this post, thoughts such as “taking advantage of paths in life that are placed before us.” But, this is a photoblog and not a place to get some personal developmental inspiration. I do hope, however, that my photo compositions below make you think about what might lie ahead for your camera lens, if you’ll just wander along paths, such as this walkway in a local nature area; and if you do, perhaps you’ll discover something nice just waiting for you. But, be quick because some scenes might change quickly, as it did with this twitchy squirrel.

DSCF3206

DSCF3207

Earth and Sky

by

0

A brief walk outside the back door to our home with my camera in hand, while I was waiting for supper to be ready, resulted in four quick images of what I saw that represented the magic of Spring — the renewal of the earth as it warms up and brings forth young plants and flowers, and a dark blue sky with a rising moon and a soaring Turkey Buzzard overhead. Making photos can definitely cheer one up!

P1000911

P1000920

P1000922

P1000928