Newborn Fawn #3

Earlier today, before the rain storm, I did some ditch digging at our cabin property. This afternoon, after the rain storm, I went to check on the drainage ditch and found this newborn fawn a short distance from where I was digging. This is the third newborn fawn I've found and photographed within the last 5 days.

Wildflowers - Dame's Rocket

The wildflower Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) is starting to bloom in the neighborhood. This is an example of: One person's wildflower... is another person's invasive weed.

Another New Fawn

It was a great day for fawn photography. I started the morning by finding a newborn fawn at our cabin property and then I spotted this mother and fawn in a neighbor's lawn in the afternoon.

The mother stood her ground as I approached and gave the fawn some time to hide, but it didn't go far.

This fawn is a day or two old and was able to stand but not able to run away

This fawn did a great job of posing for pictures.

At one point it put its head down, tucked its ears back and made a lunge at me. Time to end this photo shoot.

I left the area for about 20 minutes and when I returned the fawn was looking for a new hiding place next to the house.

The New Fawns Are Arriving

We had another late afternoon rain storm yesterday and when I went to check on some drainage work at the cabin property I noticed a doe bedded in the grass next to the access road. I stopped and watched the doe for a few minutes and when it got up I saw this wobbly legged fawn attempt to follow the doe. The fawn was only hours old and soon bedded down in the grass.

More Turkeys

The spring gobbler season runs through May 31. I got my bird during the first week of the season and I still see gobblers almost every day.

I saw these turkeys while I was parked at the gate to our cabin. As I watched the turkeys in a neighbor's yard, the birds continued to walk toward me and got within 30 yards.

Gardening Time

The spring weather has been flip-flopping from the extremes of cold/hot and wet/dry, but I was finally able to test the overhaul of my roto-tiller and prep my garden. It's still too early to plant the cold sensitive plants. I was able to plant some potatoes, cabbage, onions, beets, Swiss chard, beans and carrots.

A Morning Stroll

The neighborhood goose family was out for a morning stroll from Miner's Pond to the pond at our cabin, 1/3 mile away.

Hen Turkey

I drove to the hilltop at our cabin property trying to get some photos of lightning as an afternoon thunderstorm moved into our area. No luck on the lightning photos but I did get some photos of this hen turkey as it strolled by.

Bear in the Neighborhood

With the warmer weather I'm hearing more reports of bear activity in the neighborhood, raiding trash cans and bird feeders.

I checked the game cameras at our cabin property and the bear was within 30 yards of my deer stand. A close look at the bear's left ear shows an ear tag that means the bear has been caught at least once before.

The bear also has a scar on it's nose from previous activity with other bears (or a sharp can lid).

Another view of the ear tag.

Geese

I was doing some yardwork behind our barn and found this flock of geese in the cattails.

Bird Watching

It was a cool/drizzly morning as I drove to check on a drainage project I was working on. I found this small flock of geese grazing in a field where I recently planted some swamp oak trees.

Upon closer inspection of the geese I found some turkeys trying to blend in with the flock of geese.

It's hard for a strutting gobbler to hide.

Spring Turkey Hunt

My spring turkey hunt ended at 9:45 this morning when I bagged this gobbler.

Turkey Hunting

Spring turkey season started on Saturday with no luck hunting from my stand at our cabin property. I gave the turkeys a couple days of rest and went to our West Hill stand early this morning. I was in the stand before sunrise and soon saw movement of a dark object in the woods. It was a black bear. I was only able to get a couple of photos in the dim morning light. Other than the bear, no turkeys, no deer, no crows, no blue jays ...

Baby Geese

I spotted the first batch of baby geese on our neighbor's pond.