. . . in the merry merry month of May. (Oh wait it's not May and I wasn't strolling through a park, but I was strolling through the refuge one day.) I was taken by surprise by a roguish pair of eyes. (No, make it two pairs of eyes.) Oh heck, skip the song.
Things were slow in the "S" unit of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Sure there were the usual Great Blue Herons, the Great Horned Owl who seems to be glued to his branch, a lucky shot of an American Bittern and, of course, the usual people stepping out of their cars and even a couple guys on bikes. So I said, heck, why not check out the Carty Unit today and get out of my car. I saw the typical song birds, Towhees, Golden Crowned Sparrows, Varied Thrushes, Scrub and Stellar Jays, Herons, etc. etc etc. But soon things were to change.
Through the oak woods and up the rocky knoll just past the top, what did I see?
Number 14 and 57. I was a little started, a bit unprepared, and slightly unsteady . . . I fired off a couple shots.
Dang, I said to myself, the perfect opportunity for a gorgeous deer shot and it is just my luck to get two deer with yellow tags and screaming yellow radio collars. Then I remembered the deer being transferred from the Julia Butler refuge and realized these were the endangered Colombian White Tailed Deer that were removed from the refuge because of the danger of a dike breaking and wiping them out. All of the sudden I felt lucky.
Then number 57 was curious, just as curious as I and stepped a little closer. Oh great I said, as I had visions of being trampled by an angry deer. Now what is it you do when being approached, play dead? Nope, I think that is for bear. Run? I don't think it's ever a good idea to run. Oh well, quit thinking and just take pictures.
In fact she was quite the poser.
Not to be outdone, number 14 showed me what she thought was her best side.
Things were slow in the "S" unit of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Sure there were the usual Great Blue Herons, the Great Horned Owl who seems to be glued to his branch, a lucky shot of an American Bittern and, of course, the usual people stepping out of their cars and even a couple guys on bikes. So I said, heck, why not check out the Carty Unit today and get out of my car. I saw the typical song birds, Towhees, Golden Crowned Sparrows, Varied Thrushes, Scrub and Stellar Jays, Herons, etc. etc etc. But soon things were to change.
Through the oak woods and up the rocky knoll just past the top, what did I see?
Number 14 and 57. I was a little started, a bit unprepared, and slightly unsteady . . . I fired off a couple shots.
Dang, I said to myself, the perfect opportunity for a gorgeous deer shot and it is just my luck to get two deer with yellow tags and screaming yellow radio collars. Then I remembered the deer being transferred from the Julia Butler refuge and realized these were the endangered Colombian White Tailed Deer that were removed from the refuge because of the danger of a dike breaking and wiping them out. All of the sudden I felt lucky.
Then number 57 was curious, just as curious as I and stepped a little closer. Oh great I said, as I had visions of being trampled by an angry deer. Now what is it you do when being approached, play dead? Nope, I think that is for bear. Run? I don't think it's ever a good idea to run. Oh well, quit thinking and just take pictures.
In fact she was quite the poser.
Not to be outdone, number 14 showed me what she thought was her best side.
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