Have you seen Mom? I’m hungry!

A couple of days ago, our neighbour alerted us to this little guy, napping in a corner of our property, just the other side of the fence that forms the border between garden and “undeveloped area” — ruled by Himalayan blackberry, alder, thistle, and various endemic shrubs. I’d recently beaten back some of the more noxious weeds (you can see stalks already re-sprouting in the photos) with plan in mind of cutting some steps down the steep slope so that we can more easily gain access to the walking trail that borders the end of the property.

On Tuesday, around 3pm, I checked up on the sleepy fawn and there was the doe. I retreated. Checking again after supper, there was no sign of either ungulate.  Checking the nest yesterday morning, there was our little fawn again. He stayed there all day in the hot sun. At one point, detecting no breathing and he or she had thrust its head under the fence, I called a variety of animal rescue organizations for advice — which was to leave him in place for a day and see what happens. Later, I saw he’d changed position. Still no sign of Mom.

Around supper time, I poke my head around the fence and, lo and behold, then there were two. They were standing together, one peering over the mottled back of the other. What a photo op! I rushed back to my gear room, hurriedly attaching my telephoto lens to a camera body.

Alas, I got back just in time to see Sleepy wobbling off on Salvador Dali legs, back towards his nest in the corner.  So, I concentrated on the new fawn on the block, pictured below. Not the “prize-winner” that lay before me a few minutes before, but worth adding to the Fauna Gallery.

No sign of them today, as of 10am.

I bet she’s at the golf course, again

The Columbia black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) occurs in the southwestern corner of British Columbia, on most islands, including Vancouver Island. Our near-extirpated old growth forests provide the best wintering areas, enhancing survival rates. Luckily, black-tailed deer are an adaptable species, and seem to do well within human settlements and urban areas.

On the near side of the fence, I’ve been chipping away at the first “terrace” to enlarge an area for a greenhouse or raised beds. This project, now seeming more critical in light of pandemic shock, has entailed the moving of tons of soil, or should I say rock? That project is now on hold until these guys find their legs and move on. Hopefully, (Good luck with that!) they’ll not grow up to be garden raiders.

Update, 10:15am

Not the best of light, but glad to see Mom is doing a good job.

No need to call social services!