caterpillar511's Favorites

Once in a lifetime moment! I saw this fawn about a few hundred yards out and as I started taking pictures it kept coming closer and closer to me. It had no fear and came within 6 feet of me. I didn't notice a mom near by which seemed kind of odd but made for a great experience!

After a few months, it became clear that Buzz wasn't coming back. The male Wood Duck had called Marita Payne Pond home since the winter of 2022. In that time, he impressed park goers with dazzling colours and signature cheeps. Now that he was gone, the pond felt incomplete.

I visited Marita Payne Pond on May 23, little did I know of the surprise waiting for me. Walking through the park, I turned a corner; my jaw dropped! Perched on a tree limb overlooking the water was a female Wood Duck, the first I've ever seen here!

I quickly snapped a photo and ran towards my Mother to tell her the good news. As we made our way back, the Wood Duck flew away overhead, her crest still distinguishable in flight.

Even though she was only at the pond for a matter of minutes, her appearance was very exciting. More Wood Ducks may be on the way!

2 youngsters! I was walking by what I always suspected to be a Groundhog burrow, when I saw this brave (baby) fox looking at me from on top of the burrow (you can see the mound of the burrow under his/her feet). I watched him shuffle around a little for about 5 minutes, when his/her brother/sister walked out of the burrow. This little one walked back into the forest and started playing (about 4 meters from the burrow) out of sight. After a while, they both went back into the burrow and I didn't see them for the rest of the day. I hope to find them again! The whole time I was photographing they didn't show any signs of fear, and I stayed about 4m back (how far the trail was from the den). I'm going to be adding more pictures to the observation so let me know if you want me to tag you when I do.

Continuing- this is the same owl, she was just so beautiful I just wanted to show case the close ups separately. She let me walk right up to almost touching her, before silently winging across the yard over to the pine trees, closely followed by the 'Blue Brigade' who perched in another pine & shouted their disapproval.for the next 1/2 hour,until she obviously decided to move back further into the woods,
These Owls have the most beautiful soft looking eyes...sooo unpredator looking!

The Chickadees were really sounding an urgent alarm, I grabbed the camera & looked out bedroom window, couldn't see anything, where they were calling from, then just as I was turning away from the window a slight movement caught my eye....& there sitting on the metal post in the grape garden, under the bedroom window,just 5ft from me was this fella......Just barely enough daylight, but fortunately the camera picked him out.
Only the one shot as I didn't want to scare him away,(although it didn't look too concerned about me,the next shot would've been a good one as he was looking right at me). Was hoping to get a better shot a little later, however the Jays arrived & THEY caused enough ruckus this guy gave up & fluttered away, back into the forest. Obviously the jays followed as I could hear them shrieking their displeasure,however I had no urge to don my winter clothes & go look for him...(Yeah, I know...total lack of dedication to the cause!!).
I had been seeing a Meadow Vole living near that post...hopefully the little guy is still there!! (Very few Meadow Voles in this area).