Fawns Are Growing Up

The fawns are getting bigger and bigger.

Here is one of them being groomed by his mamma.

And another one.







Mamma's taught them well - they now groom each other.

They are just beginning to lose their fawn spots on the lower flanks - their new adult hair is beginning to grow in and the spots are getting fainter. By summer's end, they'll be "spotless."

They continue to be healthy and lively, though they don't play as much. They can't get any more free lunches from Mamma. So many grasses and browse, so little time...

Is It Hot, or What?

It's the upper 90s F and even the deer are panting as they walk through my yard.

Then there is the smoke wafting up from the ongoing California fires, casting a yellowish haze to the sunlight and making walking outside difficult.

The wild grasses have long since turned brown, as has my postage stamp-sized lawn.

The good news is that the plums on the trees are fast ripening - I'm ready for a plum feast!

So are the deer...

This little fellow came through my front yard while the sprinkler was on during the last bit of sun for the day. I like to imagine that when I have my back turned, this little fawn and his/her sibling might race through the water and kick up their heels. But they really do not like falling water or rain on their backs. They don't know what they're missing in this heat!

It's a Fawn's Life

We're waiting for Mamma to do her grazing rounds.

We wait patiently till she signals us to come for a milky snack - though we're big enough now to do some grazing ourselves!

But, well, waiting is sometimes kinda tiring and boring, so we also take little naps to foritfy ourselves for the next activity.


Boy, a bit of shut-eye does wonders.

And a really good stretch after a nap makes the day ahead even better. Wow, that felt good.







Well, Mamma's ready for us, so here we go. Where are we going anyway, Mamma? Can we have a snack first? Please?

A Typical Weekend at Home

The jays buzz the cat in the meadow, calling raucously and continuously till the feline gets the message not to trespass the jay's territory.

The twin fawns seem to be in sync with just about every activity, including responding to unexpected noises. Hmm...what was that, anyway? (After all, everything is new to a fawn.)


And then at home, it's cage-cleaning time and that means everybody vacates, one at a time, his or her cage.

This is a shot of Pippin parked temporarily in the Wingabago travel carrier. Pippin is so small and such a seeker of small dark places to explore and make nests, that I can't leave her out unattended for long as it isn't safe.

But Sam, who was already out and about exploring, decided to check Pippin out (he does like her a lot). They had a little chat and then Sam continued his explorations.

The cockatiels also took the opportunity to explore the window sill and the outside activities. Not much happening out there except jays flying about and sun beating down - oof! It's supposed to reach upper 90s F today.

Baths were had by all and Chipper dried off on the tree.

Here he is relaxed and happy for the weekend!

Fawn Update

These two rascals are growing fast. I've never seen such lively spunky fawns in the 6 years I've watched these deer pass by my place. As you can see, they are so much bigger than two weeks ago.
These two are now nibbling on grasses and foliage.

Well, they're not THAT grown up. Mamma's milk is still the best!

Stepping Lively

This had to be shared. I opened up the living room blinds early this morning and saw the fawns chasing each other in the empty lot next to me. They were having so much fun this warm summer morning.

Older does sometimes play like this, but it's very rare. Usually, after a year or so they seem to lose their ability to play when the serious business of eating and surviving takes precedence. But every once in awhile, even the older does let loose. This happened once at the end of a hot dry summer and the first rains made everything fresh. Even I felt like dancing. The empty lot became a leaping mass of playing adult and yearling deer - chasing and kicking up their heels. It was a treat to see.

I've never mentioned the bucks. Until they are of a certain age (a year or so), they tend to stick with the female family group. Once they starting developing their first real antlers, they seem to go off on their own or join bachelor groups - until the rutting season in November and December. That's the only time they see the does.

The Family in Action

Well, here is the entire family in action. Actually, the camera is more in action than the family, I'm afraid. This was taken very early in the morning and I guess I wasn't quite awake. My apologies!

It's great to see them all growing strong. Now the fawns are beginning to follow their mamma around instead of staying in hiding all day. Long may they live with plenty of food and lots of peace.

The Entire Family

When I first began writing about the new fawn, I was pretty sure the mamma deer had had twins, and in fact I had seen them from a distance. Now I can say with certainty that there are indeed twins. I saw them last night, with the last rays of the sun hitting them in the empty lot next to my house. The whole extended deer clan was nearby, and the fawns had just had a milky repast before hunkering down in the grass again.

And tonight, before dusk, here is the entire family together. I'm so pleased that this pair are healthy and whole. Last year the doe had such terrible troubles with her own health and that of her fawns that it's great to see how content she is with this little family. If does can express happiness, I'd say she does a pretty good job of it.

Fawn is Out and About

Well, here is the little fawn, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Newborn fawns are so curious and glad to be alive when they first arrive. Everything is an ADVENTURE and fun....though I think this particular fawn may be giving its mom some early gray hairs!

The mother came to my front yard, and in this picture, you see the fawn rushing to her from the empty lot next door where he/she had been hiding.

And so life continues its onward march with new beginnings everywhere...

Fawn Debut

It happened, I think, a couple days ago: Old Mamma's daughter had her fawn(s). I've only seen one so far, but the other may be hidden somewhere else, as is the habit of good deer mothers. You may have a hard time seeing the fawn, but the doe is cleaning the fawn while the fawn nurses. This was taken from my kitchen window.

Actually, I had flushed this little guy/girl unknowingly from my little front yard when I went out to set up my solar cooker (the sun's finally shining!). The mother had hidden it deep in the rosemary bush outside my livingroom window. The mother had been around earlier in the morning, hoping for a handout. I'm honored!

More photos later, as they hang around with their mother and grow up.

Living with Deer.3

Now that you know about the matriarch doe (Old Mamma), I have a story about her daughter that just happened this past early summer. She was in the pink of health and very pregnant early in June. Some days later I saw she’d had two beautiful fawns. She had raised two very spunky fawns 2 years ago: a male and female, who still remain inseparable and are quite healthy.

But trouble began shortly after last spring’s fawns arrived. She showed up in my front yard, as her mamma had done when she was in trouble. She could not graze because she had a huge swelling in her nose, possibly an abscess (in photo below, you see her swollen nose). She was desperate for food. Her udder was nearly empty, and her babies were crying constantly for nourishment. Her babies, also desperate, lost their necessary wildness and didn’t hide from me as they should have.

I sprang into action and tried one thing after another so that she could get something down her throat. She could not grasp food with her lower lips. The item that worked best was chunks of grain cakes I routinely make for my parrots – very nourishing and filling – and when she could get the food in her mouth, she’d then raise her head high and let the food slide down to where her molars could break it up.

It took me three days to get the right combination of size and composition so that she could get most of it down. Before then it was hit or miss. It was frustrating and emotionally draining to watch the fawns try to nurse and the mamma unable to feed them adequately. And if you’ve never heard a fawn bleating from hunger, you’re lucky. It’s heartbreaking!

When I called the Oregon Fish & Game Dept, they said to let nature take its course. Sorry, not good enough for me! But even so, despite my daily efforts to ply the mamma with food, one of the fawns did not make it.

Not long after this, the tide turned. I looked out of my window one early morning, and the mamma’s nose swelling was down. Her milk bag was FULL.

She was exhausted and was resting where she knew it was safe. And the remaining fawn lived! Well, until it was weaned. Unfortunately, the fawn had been born with a jaw deformity that didn’t allow it to grasp grasses and fallen leaves. And so, one day, it just disappeared. I often wonder where these animals go to die so quietly. Well, this time we lost.

Living with Deer.2

This painting "Waiting for Apples" was inspired by a family of deer that stick together most of the time (except at breeding and fawning times). After watching deer for five years from my front window, I’ve observed a lot of their life cycle and general and individual behaviors in these suburbanized deerfolk. It’s been utterly fascinating being able to see them up so close and observe nature in this way. Because they feel safe in this area, they feed, rest, groom each other, bask in the sun, and even sleep soundly – behaviors that we aren’t always able to see often. I never grow tired of watching and photographing them – and of course, painting them. (More paintings of the deer are planned in the future.)

I’ve mentioned before the story about the matriarch doe that broke her leg awhile ago. I call her “old Mamma.” She’s raised generations of deer, but she tends to stick with a specific daughter who seems to have learned most of her mother’s wisdom. I take it that she’s going to take on the matriarch role once her mother is gone.

Of all the does I’ve observed, old Mamma seems to continue caring for her daughter and her “granddeer.” At quiet times after they’ve eaten in the meadow next door, she’ll groom her daughter and the daughter’s fawns, even after they’ve grown. They’re a tight group, and that tightness seems to filter down through the generations in producing good mothers and proper behavior in the deer world.

The matriarch’s daughter is quite big in the belly right now, carrying twin fawns. Based on her pattern, I expect they should be arriving early June. When I see the fawns I will post photos of them for you to enjoy.

My front yard has become a part of their daily route for this family and they will often stare into my living room window because they know I’m a total softie. “Apples,” is the message they’re boring into my skull. It works. They always get the apple…

Living with Deer.1

I love animals. I love them so much that sometimes I think they know I’ll be there for them when they get into trouble.

We have a constant presence of Pacific blacktail deer here in the small town where I live. They amble about freely in the lawns and gardens of people who have bowed to the inevitable: deer eat what’s in gardens unless you fence them out. They are loved, cherished even, by most. They cross the streets – usually at a leisurely pace – and for the most part, they survive very well. They’ve adapted to living with people. I’ve watched many generations of deer traipse through my postage-stamp front lawn.

I’ve watched as does swell with pregnancy begun in the cold of winter,

I’ve cheered the mammas as they lead their fawns’ debut into the world, I’ve watched the antics of older fawns cavorting in the empty lot next door, I’ve seen the young bucks develop antler buds, and admired the full racks of the breeding bucks.

I’ve also watched the small tragedies unfold. Some turn into triumphs, and sometimes we just lose some members of the population. I know that’s normal, but when you get to know families and can recognize the buck who broke his leg last summer and live to walk into another year; or the wise doe who keeps raising beautiful healthy fawns, it sure hurts to see any of them in trouble.

Three years ago last August, I drove up to my house after work, and the matriarch doe of my group was patiently lying in my front yard for me. These deer are totally wild and do not stick around if you’re close. But since she didn’t spring away, I saw something was wrong: a broken hind leg. She needed help with food. It was dry and food resources were getting sparse. So I spent the rest of the summer supplementing her food with apples and grain from the local grange. I worried she would not last through the very cold winter we had that year. But she survived! She’s got a large lumpy spot where the break healed, and the break didn’t heal totally straight.

But three years later, with more gray around the muzzle and more raggedy edges around the ears, she’s still going strong. She favors the leg in intense cold, and doesn’t jump on it unless she has to. But she can when she needs to. She won, through her smarts, lots of luck, and maybe a little help from a friend.