Monday, June 16, 2008

More Whitetail Fawn Encounters

Slowly but surely, encounters with the newborn fawns are increasing. Shown immediately below is the doe, which was featured in the post of June 5th, when she was obviously very pregnant. She vanished on June 10th and I didn't see her again until the 14th when she came to the meadow with sunken flanks. As of yet I have not seen her fawn or fawns.

Canon 40-D: 17-40mm at 17mm-1/90 sec. f8 400 ISO

I finally saw another fawn on Sunday morning. No fawns followed the does to the meadow so eventually I left and took a short walk. When I returned a doe was walking from the meadow to the nearby woods. She was passing through an area with areas of tall grass interspersed with mowed strips. A small fawn was with her. I have suspected for the last week or so that this doe had a fawn nearby as her flanks were shrunken and she spent a lot of time in the brush near the meadow, emerging to feed for a few moments and then slipping back into the woods. Luckily she went on into the woods but the fawn walked into the tall grass and lay down, giving me a decent photo opportunity.

Canon 40-D: 17-40mm at 40 mm-1/60 sec. f8 400 ISO


I had no sooner than arrived at the meadow when the doe and fawn featured in the post of June 9th (the first one I saw this year) came running into the meadow, stopped quite near me and began nursing. I wish you could have heard the soft, rapid, mewing noise that the fawn made as it fed. (This was definitely the same doe, but if she had twins I can't say if this was the same fawn-only time will tell!

Canon 40-D: 70-200 mm at 200 mm-1/125 sec. f5.6 400 ISO

Due to a busy schedule, this will be the last post until Friday or Saturday when I hope to be able to return with further updates!

15 comments:

Louise said...

How cute is that?! Great photos!

I was just reading complaints on another blog about wild animals eating gardens, but how could one look at such pictures and not fall in love?

Pat - Arkansas said...

The fawn nursing is one of the sweetest wildlife photos I've ever seen! Great capture! Wish I could have been there for the sound-bites.

Kerri Farley said...

Another Awesome Post, Willard! That nursing fawn shot is Fabulous!

Jill said...

What a treasure!! You out did yourself this time. Very nice.

DeeMom said...

awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Gretchen said...

You truly have a talent that needs to be shared. You show wildlife in the best possible light.

Tricia Ryder said...

Lovely captures and the final one is really amazing :)

Brad Myers said...

I hope your busy schedule slows up so we can see more fawn photos.

I know what you mean about the sounds. One of my best times was sitting at Ox Bow Bend (between Jackson Hole and Yellowstone) waiting for the sun to come up. It was July and I was freezing but the elk were bugeling and the coyotes were barking, it was just me the darkness and the sounds.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Willard: That is simply two of the best fawn pictures I have ever seen. I love the close-up of the feeding. Simply amazing.

Tom said...

A great series of pictures that are well appreciated Willard... the fawn feeding must have been a great sight... and sound:O)

Dina said...

These are the best, most touching, closest, most beautiful deer pictures I've ever seen!
And the doe and fawn let you close enough to hear the meal?? They must trust and love you very much. I believe animals can feel the mutual respect.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely beautiful story and post. The photos are stunning.

That last photo by itself is a prize winner.

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Stacey Olson said...

Fantastic closeup of the fawn nursing! I had to save a whitetail fawn yesterday.. he/she was trying to follow it's mama across the highway.. People didn't even see it.. It was nail biting for a moment letting the cars go by, but luckily this is Wyoming and traffic really isn't that bad. I went out and got the confused little one and took it across the highway and laid it in the field.. Mama shouldn't have any problem finding it.. just hope it wasn't a twin, but if so... at least the twin listened when it's mother told it to stay put.. This one was't going to...I normaly wouldn't have interfered but this one would have been hit on the road... with out a doubt.. People were in too big of a hurry to notice something that small trying to cross to it's mother.. Thanks for the beautiful pictures Willard.. have a great weekend..

Jack and Joann said...

I may have been Brenda's blog complainer about deer eating my flowers and bird food recently. But inspite of that I do love seeing deer. Like everyone else I'm blown away by the fawn nursing photo. Incredible photo. The young doe that was visiting my bird feeder was so intellegent that when she crossed the foot path and road in our community she took the time to look both ways! And she stopped at the divided road median and did it a second time.

Marvin said...

Wonderful photos, Willard.