Greetings family and friends...it has been a long, very busy three weeks since I last posted. I have done my best to check in with many of you and see what you have been up to in your part of the world and this weekend do a little bit more visiting.
The White-tailed Deer season around here has come to an end as far as the does giving birth last June through July ending for our little herd. I will be introducing you to the usual suspects that visit Tingsgrove. Every Winter dynamics can change, but for the last two seasons everything remained pretty much the same.
It's been three weeks since they all came to the pans to feast upon my corn and goodies concoctions. I miss then terribly and hope that each of them are doing well. Soon Winter shall arrive, and the does will more than likely get caught by a buck and when they return with their fawns, be more than likely pregnant and the process will begin all over again~
Next week I will be heading to New York City and an event produced by my youngest daughter to be simulcast at the world famous Carnegie Hall. I will be flying up for a couple of days sightseeing with my Ashleigh, attend the event for "Be Strong" and finally meet a dear friend that I have written to, talked to for almost 6 years and finally get to spend time with she and her family.
I will catch up with you on the other side, if I don't by Monday~
Hugs and Blessings~
Remember to double click on the first image, to view a larger slideshow presentation after you have read the narratives~
I am joining in the fun with Eileen at:
Saturday's Critter
Anni at:
http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.com/
I'd Rather Be Birdin'
Maggie's
https://normandylife.blogspot.com/
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global
http://communalglobal.blogspot.ca/
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Stewart for:
~Star and her triplets~
Star...The best of what took place was that Star gave birth to triplets and as of a month ago, all were doing great. During the many weeks of raising them, some days she would only turn up with 2 fawns and I would begin my walks through the woods picking up mean Ticks and other bites along my route, but there was reason for concern~
Image above, was taken the evening before she began to deliver her triplets.
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These are not all Star's fawns, but individual fawns spotted this season after they had been born~
~The female Red Fox Vixen~
Red Foxes... The local den pair produced 3 kits this year and oh my were they busy! We are certain that they took 8 fawns, many chickens, squirrels, ducks and well, they were just doing their wild thing everywhere, and it was quite disturbing for the many neighbors that enjoy the deer. In the beginning when we would see evidence of death, we thought that some of the fawns born to the does that visit our yards were some of the victims, and yet...we had 9 fawns, possibly 10 for the season, out of 4 does~
Red Foxes... The local den pair produced 3 kits this year and oh my were they busy! We are certain that they took 8 fawns, many chickens, squirrels, ducks and well, they were just doing their wild thing everywhere, and it was quite disturbing for the many neighbors that enjoy the deer. In the beginning when we would see evidence of death, we thought that some of the fawns born to the does that visit our yards were some of the victims, and yet...we had 9 fawns, possibly 10 for the season, out of 4 does~
As Star's Summer coat was shed, her new Winter coat came in and she also lost the long scar that had been down her right side all season.
All of the does looks emaciated for a few weeks and then once the fawns were weaned, hey began to quickly pick up their weight again~
The fawns had lost almost all of their spots by the last time I saw them~
~Miracle and her triplets~
Miracle...is related to Star as best we can ascertain as they are quite close all year with the exception of during the raising of the young period and tempers can flare. Miracle appeared one afternoon injured very badly before we even knew that she had already given birth to another set of triplets. She struggled terribly and it appeared she was struck by a vehicle. Her left side had gotten the brunt of the blow and her front left leg was visibly painful to her. She hobbled on three legs, her large body full of milk for her young. She steadied herself and made her way up through the woods and I didn't see her for a few days and then she came for food and she brought with her the triplets that looked to be a couple of weeks old. It took a couple of months before she no longer favored that leg. She had a job to do and she was a great mother to her fawns. Thus I named the beautiful, courageous doe Miracle~
Miracle...is related to Star as best we can ascertain as they are quite close all year with the exception of during the raising of the young period and tempers can flare. Miracle appeared one afternoon injured very badly before we even knew that she had already given birth to another set of triplets. She struggled terribly and it appeared she was struck by a vehicle. Her left side had gotten the brunt of the blow and her front left leg was visibly painful to her. She hobbled on three legs, her large body full of milk for her young. She steadied herself and made her way up through the woods and I didn't see her for a few days and then she came for food and she brought with her the triplets that looked to be a couple of weeks old. It took a couple of months before she no longer favored that leg. She had a job to do and she was a great mother to her fawns. Thus I named the beautiful, courageous doe Miracle~
Her knee healed over, but it was still swollen the last time that I saw her~
Miracle would struggle to lie down, but she did it with such courage and for certain a whole lot of pain. I prayed over her a lot~
*Mannie 1 and Mannie 2...well I can't always tell them apart unless they are together. Mannie 1 is smaller than Mannie 2, yet once again, you cannot tell that so much, unless they are together.
~Mannie 1 and her twins~
Mannie 1... had twins this season and she was an excellent mother to her fawns. I must share something that may be disturbing to some, but it's part of nature's way and something that sadly I had to witness and could do nothing about. On July 3 people had begun to set off fireworks early and a little dog had gotten away from it's owner. Many of the neighbors had gone out looking for it and when I spotted it in my yard, I tried to get it to come to me. Instead it ran over into our woods, beyond the creek and I suddenly heard it's screams and I knew what had happened. The little dog had been struck a few times by Mannie because she had been standing there nursing her twins when the little dog ran right into her path. The foxes had placed all does and fawns on edge and this was truly horrible. Once I found the owner of the dog, I learned that it was nearly 17, almost totally blind. it never saw the deer, or the fawns~
~Mannie 2 and her single/twins~
Mannie 2 is my favorite, but then I really love them all. She is the the larger of the two Mannies and this season she had twins, but at times would only show up with a single. Deer will hoof fawns that are not their own and when she came with two, she never hoofed either of them and so I assumed she too had twins. It's amazing how often the does come to eat without their fawns in the beginning, leaving them tucked away hopefully somewhere safe. After the fawns are a few weeks old, then they begin to come with the does to the feed pans. I get to introduce myself to them and this year there were so many that came, it was difficult to keep up with who belonged to who. Once they reached the age of about 3 months, the fawns also took up the practice to hoof a little fawn that was not part of them~
Mannie 2 is my favorite, but then I really love them all. She is the the larger of the two Mannies and this season she had twins, but at times would only show up with a single. Deer will hoof fawns that are not their own and when she came with two, she never hoofed either of them and so I assumed she too had twins. It's amazing how often the does come to eat without their fawns in the beginning, leaving them tucked away hopefully somewhere safe. After the fawns are a few weeks old, then they begin to come with the does to the feed pans. I get to introduce myself to them and this year there were so many that came, it was difficult to keep up with who belonged to who. Once they reached the age of about 3 months, the fawns also took up the practice to hoof a little fawn that was not part of them~
She has such a beautiful coat and is not covered quite so much with ticks as the others are~
After their young was raised, the adult does would begin grooming one another again and peace returned~
The fawns enjoyed the water~
As did their Moms~
And the bucks from last year did so as well~
Sometimes twins will fuss with each other and this is true with my twin sister and also true for these twin deer~
Ending this presentation with some wild and more Wild Turkeys~
