Then A Deer Walked By

Well, would you look what I found! I was out at the edge of the meadow minding my own business taking more pictures of bees when I heard a strange noise on the other side of the meadow. When I looked up from the tall weeds in front of me I saw this deer walking past.

It didn't know I was there because these weeds between us were almost as tall as me. I lifted my camera to take pictures when I remembered that I could also do video. The video was the clear winner because the video quality is almost as good as the pictures anyway, and screenshots are easy to do.

So all of the pictures you see here are from the video below. I did have to fix them slightly to make them a little clearer, but they're still okay. And the pictures are here just in case you either don't want to see the video or you can't. The video is great though.


So we have a new episode of Rat TV! I watched from behind the tall weeds as this deer walked the length of the meadow. It stopped and looked in my direction a few times, but it was having trouble seeing me where I was standing. It knew there was something there, but it didn't quite know what. You can see the fear and confusion in its face as it walks past.

When I had to walk a little ways to catch up I lost the deer for a few seconds. The weeds were just too tall to see it in some places. I was also making a little too much noise because there were a few dead leaves on the ground that were unavoidable. The deer heard me, but it couldn't see me.

The deer was looking right at me when I found it again. I was still well hidden, but it knew I was there. The deer was reasonably sure that I wouldn't be a threat because the tall weeds were like a barrier between us, so it never moved any quicker than a walk. I then watched as it walked into the forest and was gone.

If you have ever seen deer very much, you can see a bit of worry in her face here. She was trying to keep an eye on me but still get where she was going. She couldn't resist looking over at me a few times to try to see where I was.

She knew right where she was going though. The forest she entered is where her and a few others live. They have a good hiding place in there on the other side of the treeline. This meadow is their home, and I find them here very often.

I threw in this last picture as a bonus. If you look closely you can see that her tongue is out. She is licking her lips in nervousness. She knows that she might be in danger, but she has to make it all the way home. I did my best not to scare her, but she was wise to think any other big creature was a threat.

Watch the way she flicks her tail in the video after every time she looks at me. You'll see it just after she turns away. That is a sign of her fear. She knows I am there, but she is trying to keep from panicking. I've had all sorts of reactions from deer, from a panicky run to aggression, and everything in between. I've even had a few try to be my friends. This was just another average, but fun encounter with a white-tailed deer.


Nature Center Magazine - It's time for another Nature Site Of The Week. This week's site is very special to me, WiseAcre Gardens. WiseAcre was my very first friend here in the blogging world. He came over and helped me out when I didn't know what to do yet. I have always been very grateful to him for that. And he has one of the most entertaining blogs I have ever seen. His blog is one you will definitely want to see.

Back To The Bugs

I have some bugs here just for you. Isn't that a present you've always wanted? Well, actually they're just bees. I couldn't afford any of the other kinds of bugs, being that they are so expensive this year. I had the money for them, but I just couldn't bear to part with it. I really love money.

And I like bees more than most bugs, so these are better anyway. It's either these bees or a handful of cockroaches. I think we'll just do the bees. And no, don't ask for cockroach pictures. I don't really have any pictures. A bumblebee in mid-flight is much better anyway. Trust me!

By the way, that plant with the fern-like leaves is called Partridge Pea. I'll tell you all about them in a future post. They really had me confused for awhile. I don't know a lot about plants, and these looked like the leaves of ferns, but I was very skeptical. And now I know I was right to be, because they're not ferns.

And here is another bumblebee sucking the nectar out of one of the flowers of the partridge pea. Take a close look at the front of the bee's head. You can see him drinking it up. Cool! Just like a butterfly. Bees just love these plants, and the plants need the bees to help them reproduce. A perfect pairing.

In the same meadow I found another bumblebee. But this time it was all over this coneflower. I have a slightly clearer picture than this, but I like this one better. There are so many different flowers in the meadow here, but the city government seems to be very controlling with what grows here.

Last year there were daisies and coneflowers, and a few other very similar kinds. Some of those have survived to this year, but now the meadow is dominated by the partridge pea. They keep coming and mowing the place. It takes awhile for things to start growing again, and the bigger animals that live here have a bit more trouble hiding when they do that. Luckily the forest is all around.

Speaking of bigger animals, I think I might bring you one of those very soon. Don't worry, I have plenty more bug pictures! But while I was on my latest bug hunt in this meadow I was delighted to get some video of something that crossed right in front of me. The tall plants here concealed me from its view pretty good. See you next time!


Nature Center Magazine - We have a Cool Nature Video today from somebody that many of you know very well. No, it's not me! Come on over and find out who it is. And watch the video.