Newborns and other wildlife in the garden
While I was turning off a hose Monday, water dribbled into a thick stand of inland sea oats, and something moved among the grasses. I saw a small head and thought, cat. Having endured a year of a neighbor’s cat using my gravel path as a toilet, I’m not kindly disposed to cats in my garden, so I squirted it again, trying to shoo it out.
A fawn, surely no more than a day old, emerged on wobbly legs, its spotted coat dripping. Dismay washed over me, and I froze and anxiously watched to see what it would do. It walked a few steps across a path and wedged itself between the lattice fence and a bamboo muhly grass, lying on a bed of live oak leaves that camouflaged it well.
I backed away quietly and left the area to give it time to settle down again. A little while later I walked cautiously back around to see if it was still there. It was doing what fawns do: lying completely still in the hope that I couldn’t see it.
I shot a few pics with my telephoto lens, giving him plenty of space. What a sweet face. He stayed put, waiting for mama to return, until late that afternoon.
Other newborns are making their presence known too. Wren chicks are peeping for regular meals in this birdhouse that hangs outside my office window.
Over the past week, Mama and Papa Wren have been darting in with a steady supply of insects and larvae for their hungry chicks.
Yummy!
Who’s first?
Time for another grocery run.
Finally, I got a kick out of this sight a few days ago: a dragonfly resting on my metal dragonfly.
Life imitating art! (Except a dragonfly doesn’t actually have long antennae like a butterfly.)
Are you watching any wildlife activity in your garden this spring?
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Poor baby deer! I bet they gave mom an earful about you. There are always birds and insects coming and going in my garden, but never any occupants for the two very nice birdhouses I have set up. My only other critters are concrete ones.
I had the wren birdhouse in my front garden for several years, and no bird ever built a nest in it. Early this spring I moved it to a new spot in the back yard, and it was immediately claimed. Even for birds, it seems, it’s all about location, location, location. —Pam
So cute! I wonder if the same mama deer has decided your garden is a good place to stow her fawns? The dragonfly was a great catch. I had my own exciting wildlife sighting on Monday – a swarm of bees! No one got stung and, fortunately, the swarm moved on within hours.
That IS exciting, Kris. I’ve seen that happen once before. It’s a little freaky. —Pam
Like you, I am watching mama and papa finch watch over their nest. It delights me because they love to use the tallest branch of my climbing rose for a watch post. It makes a lovely photo!
I bet it does! It must make for enjoyable watching. —Pam
Sweet photos. The house wrens are busy in my garden too. Amazing that the dragonfly is colored somewhat like your hanging. We have baby rabbits here. The parents are busy eating the broccoli I planted earlier. UGH…
Oh, baby rabbits are like baby deer: cute as can be but equally destructive. —Pam
I probably don’t appreciate the wild life as much as you do. I live in a rural area on a lake & have pretty much every kind ever created for my area!
Seriously though, I don’t really enjoy the deer. They’re very destructive. I also hate the squirrels & armidillos. They probably cause the most damage. I’ve completely stopped growing vegetables because it was a lot of hard work just to feed the squirrel population! The last three years I grew tomatoes I did not get to eat one single bite, not even a green one. The snakes aren’t my favorite either. I had one in my garage recently.
I do love watching the birds & I grow swamp milkweed for the monarchs so I love watching them through all their stages of life. This morning I spotted our resident fox. He & his family are loads of fun to have around. Lots of baby rabbits & groundhogs right now too.
I’m so jealous about your fox family, Jenny. I’ve yet to spot one in my garden, although I know they’re around. I’ll pass on the rabbits and groundhogs though! And I completely agree with you about the destructiveness of deer. Somehow, though, I can’t resist the sweet little fawns, even though I know they’ll soon grow up to be plant-noshing, antler-smashing fiends. Like you, I love some of the wildlife better than others, but I do enjoy photographing all of them. They sure do enliven a garden — if they aren’t eating all of it! —Pam
Did your heart just sink when you saw the fawn? I would have felt so horrible! That’s great that she trusts your garden to leave her baby! So cute!!
Yes, I felt awful! But he seemed OK and quickly settled in a new spot. It’s always heartwarming to see them tucked into the garden. —Pam
That was lovely to follow, and great timing too to be able to follow it all and capture the moments!
Wildlife watching is one of gardening’s great pleasures. —Pam
It makes an exquisite photo!…Sweet photographs. The house wrens are occupied in my garden as well. Astonishing that the dragonfly is hued to some degree like your hanging…
Lots of activity — but no tigers here! —Pam
how wonderful to watch the birds from your office. Very cute baby fawn, and the dragonfly on the dragonfly is hilarious.
It was pretty funny! —Pam
Whatever we think about the deer when we see one of those fawns our hearts melt. Not seen any around here yet. That is a seriously cute bird house.
The birdhouse is from Potted, a gift from my sister. —Pam
A sweet baby deer and a great story, Pam. I’ve learned to live with the deer here – the gardens outside of the fence are filled with deer-resistant plants, while all of the gourmet deer food is protected behind the fence. This allows me to think of them more kindly 🙂
Love the dragonfly on dragonfly – serendipity!
I agree — having a section of the garden where you don’t have to think about deer resistance makes gardening a whole lot more enjoyable. —Pam
Baby groundhogs. Which are cute as all get out, as long as they’re only eating the clover in the lawn. In a month or so they’ll be guided a good ways away by their mother… who seems to celebrate the annual event by chowing down on a couple of her favorite daylilies, then usually returns to mainly clover. Fingers crossed the damage doesn’t escalate.
I bet they are cute! Hopefully your daylilies will escape harm this year. —Pam
I found kittens in my greenhouse this week. Don’t remember planting those…
Ha! No, I bet not. —Pam
Pam, you are the godzilla of wildlife photographers! I have all kinds of bees, butterflies and birds in my garden, but they seem to take special pleasure in holding still until I’m ready to shoot and then flying away. Patience doesn’t seem to be rewarded in my garden.
I’m picturing a godzilla avatar, Peter — ha! I’m not very patient for photographing birds either, but these are literally right outside my office window. Just looked out, though, and I see a snake coiled up in the birdhouse. So sad!! —Pam
Right now I have over a dozen swallowtail caterpillars on my fennel right now. I live in town so I don’t have much wildlife. I have birds, but they tend to nest in my neighbors trees. They do come to my birdbath and eeders though.
I bet you have more than you think, Beth. Wild creatures are wily! The butterflies and birds are delightful to watch, aren’t they? —Pam
You squirted Bambi! How sweet to find this baby hiding in your garden. Your birdhouse is way cool and the wrens obviously approve. So much to get done during spring for plants and wildlife alike.
The wren chicks were being well fed. But sadly, they’ve now become food. I just looked out my window and can see a snake coiled up in that little birdhouse. 🙁 —Pam
What a lovely temporary addition to your garden! It’s hard not to love that face. We don’t have a lot of deer pressure where I live so it is easy for me to say; most people complain about the deer around here. I love your wren house. What is it made from? We have bluebirds, wrens, cardinals and chickadees nesting right now. Gotta love spring nesting season!
I’m not sure what the birdhouse is made of — ceramic maybe, with a rough, pebbly texture. It came from Potted garden shop in L.A. —Pam