Bucks in the Park

It’s not at all unusual to come across deer on our morning walks in the neighborhood park. Usually they are female and every once in a while we see a buck. But since May of this year we started to see a family of several. And one thing stuck out - there were a pair of bucks that we noticed. At the time their antlers were just stubs and hardly noticed. Ever since then we have seen them - always together. And every time we know it is the same pair because their antlers keep growing. This morning when we went to the park we saw one of the two in the back yard of a home. I think he probably recognizes us by now. His antlers were quite impressive. We didn’t see the second one.  But on our way back they were together in the same spot. So I went back over my camera roll and picked out the photos of the two of them to see their antlers growing over time. It is amazing how big they have become and we wonder what will become of them. It’s such fun to see the wild life in the park. It’s such a different vibe than the Capitol Hill neighborhood we still like to visit by haven’t gone for two weeks because of the extreme heat. So we go to the park instead, stay under the tree canopy, and watch the deer. 

52Frames Nature Weekly Photo Challenge

The subject for the 52Frames photo challenge this week was “nature.”  I really like putting together composite photos and this week was no exception. I didn’t have anything specific in mind. So when we took a morning walk in the neighborhood park I just started to take photos of leaves and trees. I thought I liked the image of the sun peaking through bare tree trunks and branches, but then added a bit of painting to it. My husband didn’t care for it at all. That is never a good sign because the idea is to find an image that we both like. There was a lovely American Beech Tree with golden leaves that held promise. Then I remembered a deer photo we took a couple of months back. The main image needs to have been taken during the week of the challenge; and bits for a composite can be taken from elsewhere and/or taken during the same week. Since we didn’t see any deer this week I opted for a past image. So the black cages around the saplings were painted in and the house parts behind the trees were eliminated. The deer was isolated and placed under the canopy and some shade was added to make it look like it belonged there. Then it was cropped to move the trunk off center. A couple of the leaf pictures were okay, but we ended up uploading the composite. As our friend says, it doesn’t seem right any more to just take a photo. You need to create a composite. It’s always a fun project. 

The Park Visitor

If we aren’t taking a ride in to town for a morning walk we will take a turn in the neighborhood - either around the block or in the park nearby. Sometimes we will drive to Roosevelt Island or Alexandria to mix it up a bit and at least seasonally. If the weather is really bad then we will drive to the mall - my least favorite option. I keep reading that spending time in nature is better for you rather than in the concrete jungle. I have a tendency to believe that because I can feel my blood pressure go up whenever we hit the traffic and try to find parking. So the other day when we went to the neighborhood park we are always on the look out for the park creatures. A very skinny fox crossed our path and got the attention of a dog. The fox moved so fast I couldn’t get a photo. We now have a bird app that tells us which birds are chatting among us. One day there were about thirteen varieties. You just hit the record button, the app listens, and it names the bird along with a picture of it. And it’s always fun to see the deer. This time there was just one right in front of us. It looked at us with as much curiosity as we looked at it. We oftentimes see several together, but lately it’s not unusual to see just one. We had a borzoi who thought she was a deer. She would love to talk to the deer when they came in to our yard when we lived in the Midwest. I guess you could say I like animals. My husband prefers the crowds and and noise. So at least this way we both get to enjoy our favorite settings. 

Deer and Heron in the Park

We try to drive in to town at least once a week. It’s always a nice ride and provides interesting morning walks in our old neighborhood. On the other days we have the choice of walking around the neighborhood sidewalks or the nearby park. We are always on the look out for any kind of wildlife. We saw a mangy looking fox once, and a sickly looking raccoon - in mid morning. There was something wrong with him as he staggered across the path. We have even come across a dead deer carcass with buzzards flying about. On a recent visit to the park it was beautiful weather. The birds were out and about - although we haven’t seen the hawk as of late but have certainly heard him. Then in front of us was a couple with their dog stopped on the path. At first we didn’t notice, but a deer was hiding in the brush making eye contact with the dog. They said the deer had just given birth so we were very quiet. As soon as the group continued walking on the deer decided it was safe enough to cross the path. She don’t show any signs of exhaustion, but certainly was very pretty to look at. On our way back to the car we crossed the bridge and my husband noticed a heron upstream. We have seen him before too. Unfortunately we can never get close enough for a decent photo. They say it’s always best to take walks in nature rather than the noisy urban jungle. I think I have to agree. I alway feel a bit calmer whenever we finish our walks there compared to the city with all of the traffic and crowds. But in the end it’s nice to have either option. 

A Red Fox and a Deer Family

One of the reasons I like walking in the park by our house is looking out for animals and birds that might come across our path. The other day we thought we saw a dog on the path, but it was a fox. And it was a very mangy looking thing. It was also very interested in us. He kept looking back to see what we were up to, almost posing for pictures. He really looked either very old or very sick. The fur on his rear quarters and tail was almost non existent. Then he wandered off in to the trees. Today we were walking along the stream and across the way were six deer. They blended in so well with the background that we hardly noticed them - until we did. They were watching us as much as we were watching them. I always liked animals of all sorts and I could spend hours just observing them. So I’m glad we still have an opportunity to do just that. These are the time when I wish I had a telephoto lens. 

Wildlife in the Park

We drive in to town at least once a week for a change of scenery, a morning walk, and usually to find some interesting images for the weekly 52frames photo challenge. Yesterday we went to the Smithsonian American history museum. On the weekends we walk the concrete sidewalks in the neighborhood. This morning we walked in the park that is just a couple of blocks from the house. Depending on the time of day one can come across some sort of wildlife. Over the last few days we have run in to a few - including a very large red headed woodpecker. He was feasting on some rotted wood in a tree that had fallen. A hawk was sitting high in another tree above the stream that runs under the bridge where we cross. Further along the path was a heron that was too far to get a close shot, and he was well protected from every angle. This morning we ran into a deer and a fawn - I think the same pair we saw a couple of weeks back. I saw an outline of it far in to the woods. They were walking parallel along our same path snd we cross crossed three times. Our beautiful Borzoi loved communicating with the deer in our Midwest backyard. I think she thought she was one of them. There is something about wildlife. I could sit snd watch for hours on end. 

Deer and Fawn in the Park

We have seen them many times before, but every time we run in to deer in the park we have to stop and observe them. I’m sure they would prefer if we kept moving and ignored them. A couple of weeks ago there was a solitary deer in the stream, with ribs showing, coughing and sneezing. He or she looked and acted sick. Today on the walking path we noticed a bunch of people with kids and a dog standing still and looking in to the greenery. Not far from them was a mom and fawn standing quite rigid. The mom was nudging the baby in our direction, but stopped again when she realized she was in between two groups of people. Ever protective, she got the youngster to move quickly behind her - white tail up - past us and across the path over to the other side where there was protection from us. Of course everyone was taking photos. We were very close to them but you certainly can’t tell by the lousy pictures! That’s the one reason I always have my phone in my hand in case something comes up unexpectedly. You rarely get a second chance to snap a situation in progress. Hopefully I’ll have an opportunity again soon.