Just look at this adorable newborn, all snug in its grassy nest, trying to figure out what life is like on the "outside". :)
Jim came across it when he was mowing an open area by the woods. The baby was in tall grass beside a tree. I guess the mother thought it was a great hiding spot. How could she know that it was a danger zone; that the humans who lived on the property occasionally mowed around the woods to help keep ticks, etc, at bay?
I am thankful that Jim saw our baby fawn in time to avoid catastrophe!
Lawn mowers aside, this baby had a rough first day. Although its nest was in the shade during the morning, by late afternoon the sun was beating down on him. But maybe the baby enjoyed the heat, what do I know?
I staked out with my camera in one of Jim's truck (which was parked within camera range of the "nest") that evening to see if the mother would come be with her baby, or move it to another location (which is what they do, put the baby in tall grass in hopes of hiding it from predators during the day and the tending to them at night).
Soon after I was set up in the truck, it began to rain. :(
It was twilight, and no mother to be found. The temps dropped quite a bit, the rain became more intense, and it started lightning. Surely the mother would come protect her baby, I thought.
But.... she didn't.
I wanted to set up the EZ up awning that we use for our farmers market stand over the baby for shelter, but I knew better than to interfere.
When it got good and dark, I gave up watching for "mom", snuck out of the truck and made a dash for the warmth and dryness of my home, feeling sad about the baby deer's predicament.
The next morning the baby was still there. Did the mom come during the night? I have no way of knowing. It was Memorial Day and we left to spend time with our kids in Columbus.
When we got home, the baby deer had been moved. An imprint of the baby's body was all there was left in the tall grass to document that new life was there for a while.
I felt happy that I was able to see such a young deer, and even more happy that the mom did her job.
Jim told me not to worry about baby deer. Their fur coats shelter them from the weather, and their moms know what is best to keep them safe.
The World of Nature has many lessons for us. The textbook is free, all we need are our eyes and ears. :)
Marcheta *loving the wonderful Memorial Day memory