Friday, July 23, 2010

Dear Deer

On the first owl safari we spotted a roe doe. I had seen her there two days before at the same time and in the same place and I suspected she had stashed her fawn close by in the long grass.
I spent days trying to find the fawn, but only got a brief glimpse.
I would have liked some better pictures, and so when, the morning after the owl safari, I spotted the doe across the valley, I headed off to see if I could find the fawn again.
Unfortunately someone was walking their dog in the valley bottom and she dashed for cover as I approached.
But the day after that I watched her eating poppies in a field of oil seed rape. I watched her for half an hour from the house through my telescope. I thought it would have made a great photograph so I headed across the valley with my camera.
But by the time I caught up with her she had moved out of the poppies. Still I did get some photographs before she vanished.
I spent some time looking out for her and saw some tracks and signs and a form where the fawn had spent time hiding.
I also saw the flattened grass where she had lain and could see where she had jumped over the fence - her sharp hooves had damaged the grass below.
But even armed with all this extra information, I only saw her twice more and to date I have not seen the fawn again.

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