Coming down to my garden a few days ago, I watched this young fawn still covered with white spots nestle itself into the grass right outside the garden fence. It hardly seemed to notice me. Its mother, though, in the nearby woods watched me nervously.
I raced back to the house to fetch my camera hoping that bambi would still be there when I got back. When I returned, it lay in the sun-lit grass, well camouflaged. I may have never found it there if I had not seen it stagger around on its gangly legs.
And there it was, peacefully warming itself in the morning sun.
I approached it carefully and was able to pull some of the tall grasses out of the way all the while holding my breath. How close could I get before its instinct to remain totally still was over-ridden by the urge to flee?
Suddenly, bambi bolted out of its grassy hideaway, uttering a sound that reminded me very much of a sheep’s ba-a-h, but with an “m” instead: “ma-a-h.”
I had never heard a deer make a sound like that. Snorting, yes.
A kind of squealing when two bambis chased each other around the pond, yes.
But “ma-a-h?”
I glanced towards the woods half-way expecting mama deer to show up ready to defend her youngin. To my disappointment, she was nowhere to be seen. What kind of a mother was she if she did not respond to her baby’s distress call?
Slightly sorry for having caused the little one a bit of anxiety but with my heart full of joy and wonder, I finally found my way into the garden for my morning chores.
More “Extra, extra” posts can be found at the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge.
That is really special, great photo.
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Thank you, Charlie. I can’t believe your comment ended up under “Spam” – glad I checked there!
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Oh my so adorable!
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How absolutely lovely he is, and what a magical experience, Annette. 🙂
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Yes, there was a certain magic to this!
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Wonderful!
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Adorable! A special moment to get so close 🙂
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Lovely!
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Oh, so precious and rare to be able to get this close. Wonderful photo.
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I think I forgot to breathe part of the time – it was such a delicate moment.
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Close encounters like this are so magical, as though two souls touch, each from their own worlds surprised at the appearance of the other 🙂
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As so often, Seonaid, you capture the essence. I love your idea of a “soul encounter.” That’s kind of what it felt like without me being able to verbalize it that way. Thanks so much for providing the verbal context.
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The more I read your blog, the more I understand the purpose of it. I love the niche you’ve carved out. These small but deeply felt moments/connections that make our lives rich (if we take the time to notice them, as you do).
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Oh thank you, Icelandica, I love the way you phrase the purpose of my blog. Yes, even the name of my blog reflects that purpose. So glad it is coming across, and so glad that you noticed and thought about it.
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Its a great photo. Was the deer hurt or something?
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No, not at all. Young deer typically find a place to lay down during the day, perfectly camouflaged. They instinctively lay very still so predators won’t notice them.
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Oh that’s so adorable! WOW having deers in the backyard is a freaking far cry in LA. Very cool photos.
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Sometimes, it’s a joy seeing deer; at other times, especially when they want to sample garden produce and trees and shrubs, not so much 🙂
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LOL! Guess there are two sides to every coin. Even something as adorable as a deer has downside. Cheers and nice chatting with you. Until later!
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Absolutely beautiful and magical! I love seeing fawn’s, great shots!! 🙂
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What a cute little “extra” Annette! You’re so lucky!
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So so sweet!!!
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What a wonderful situation! And lucky you that the fawn stayed till you were ready with the camera. I’m hoping that I can catch a shot like this as we have deer on our property constantly. And there are fawns, too. I’ve seen them in the neighbourhood, but not on our property.
Best regards from soutern Texas,
Pit
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It’s usually a matter of being in the right place at the right time, with camera (of course). And those 3 variables don’t often collide…but if you are patient you might just get lucky 🙂
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Stunning find and put perfect into a picture!
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This photo made me gasp with wonder and amazement. I think it fits perfectly with the dedication on your about page.
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Thank you so much, Jillian. Glad you enjoyed this little creature.
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Oh my Annette – what a beautiful moment. I just hope he reconnected with mom. Have you seen them since???
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No, I haven’t seen them but I am sure Mama found her baby. They have great hiding places in the general area where I saw them.
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What a lucky capture. That is just delightful.
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It’s hard to resist picking them up and smelling their heads!
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What a special moment to enjoy with this sweet young life. I saw a fawn curled up and hiding one time when walking in the woods. Another time we startled one and it ran by us so closely it almost ran straight into us and our dog. Thank goodness the dog didn’t know what to think and didn’t chase it.
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Yes, they are precious little creatures – young and dumb, but totally loveable!
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HaHa – true about a lot of very young animals.
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