December 19, 2014

Snapshots Around My Yard…Birds, Squirrels, and Deer

Female Cardinal

Before the season of winter fully sets in, there is an abundance of activity around my yard with the melodies of songbirds, those staying all winter and those just stopping by to vocalize a tune before flying off to warmer climes; the ever-social crows and starlings calling to each other; a hawk perched in the bare branches of an oak tree; and gray squirrels busy scurrying about frantically gathering and hiding nuts.

This year there was an added treat of spotting a young buck white-tail deer just casually strolling through my suburban neighborhood. Deer will occasionally come into the neighborhood (and sometimes into my yard), there is a wooded park nearby, but often it’s at dawn or dusk and they very quickly move on. To see one just slowing walking around, not running, just taking his time as if he’s out for an afternoon stroll is not that common. This young deer paused in my neighbor’s yard across the way and stood still long enough for me to quickly grab my camera and take some snapshots before he left…just as if he were posing for the camera!

Sharing some snapshots from around my yard ~

Birds

Robin 

Mourning Dove

Catbirds in conversation

Blackbird in the autumn leaves


Starlings...high wire act


Crow proudly announcing the piece of foil she found


Cooper's hawk with his back to the camera
(there was a light snowfall that day)

Gray Squirrels

Running along the fence by the autumn leaves


Munching on a nut


Squirrel scurrying up the tree


Deer

Young buck white-tail deer strolling through my neighborhood




Hope you enjoyed the snapshots!  


©2014 JerseyLils2Cents (all text and photos) 

22 comments:

  1. Beautiful snapshots, Madilyn. What a gorgeous place. You are a great photographer!
    The deer looks friendly.

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    1. Thanks so much, Julia! I love taking photographs. That deer did seem friendly, almost as if he were posing for the pictures. :)

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    2. I truly enjoyed looking through these photos ... You said you love taking photographs and it definitely shows. Thanks for sharing!

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    3. Thanks Jaime! I really do love taking photos, especially photos of birds, animals and nature. :)

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  2. You're so good at this. Beautiful pictures! Was that deer in your yard?

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    1. Hi Quiet and thank you! That deer was in my neighbor’s yard nearby and when I spotted the deer from my window, I quickly grabbed my camera, went outside and took the pictures. Do you have a blog? Please your name and the link so I can visit, thanks!

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  3. Your photos are absolutely lovely! Of course---my favorites are always the squirrels….

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    1. Thanks Marcia! I knew you'd especially love the squirrels! :)

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  4. You have deer walking around your neighborhood? How cool is that?

    Lovely pics and a very poetic bit of writing.

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    1. Big D, thank you about the photos and calling my writing poetic! :) Yes, it was very cool to see deer walking through my neighborhood and it’s not that common to see them so plainly in broad daylight. It was lucky timing that I happened to be looking out the window and saw this one walking into my neighbor’s yard. I always try to keep my camera handy!

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  5. Beautiful pictures Madilyn. Those bird shots could easily grace the front of the best christmas cards. And like Big D, I thought your writing was very poetic too.

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    1. Thanks so much, Lily! I especially love taking photos of birds and interesting that you wrote how those pictures could grace the front of cards because I have a project in mind involving my photos and cards. :) And I really appreciate having my bit of writing here called poetic, thank you!

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  6. Those are all lovely images, Madilyn, but I am sold on the shots of the deer. Why, I can almost hear the clamour about your yard and how I wish I could teleport myself just there!

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    1. Umashankar, thanks, I wish you could have teleported here too so you could have seen the deer standing in that yard! What a wonderful surprise it was when I happened to look out the window and see him just casually walking into my neighbor’s yard across the way. As someone who also likes to take photographs, I’m sure you can appreciate how I hurried to grab the camera and ever so quietly went outside to take pictures without disturbing him. But I am pretty certain he did see me and I think he may have been posing for the camera! :)

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  7. The pictures are amazing... I love to sit out on my back porch and see all the animals and birds preparing for the winter... I haven't seen a deer that close up but I do have a lot of squirrels and birds to keep me entertained... I need to start taking more pictures of them ... I hope you are having a great weekend ... Merry Christmas to you and your family xox

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    1. Hi Launna and thanks so much! I love watching the birds and animals prepare for winter, and I find that keeping my camera handy and taking pics when I can is very relaxing. Hope you have a great weekend as well and I’m glad you stopped by. :) Merry Christmas to you and your family too! xo

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  8. Wonderful pictures, Madilyn. Aren't the starlings amazing? About fifty landed on my roof a week ago. They were directly over my head making an incredible clatter. Then they swiftly flew away and nestled in a nearby maple tree. I also get deer passing through my backyard, even though I live in a residential area. They're such beautiful creatures, so gentle and elegant.

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    1. Thank you, Marty! Starlings are amazing birds and very social. Wow about fifty of them landing on your roof. :) I see them flying overhead in large numbers and gathering in nearby trees (yes, they do make an incredible clatter!). I was especially delighted to get such clear photos of that young buck right across the way in my neighbor’s yard. Deer really are such beautiful animals.

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  9. Wow! Fantastic shots of the deer! He's looking right at you. And the blackbird is a lovely shot too. They all are. So nice to have a thriving ecosystem outside your door. :)

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    1. Hi Linda, thanks! I do love seeing all the bird and animal activity right from my yard. Yes, that deer is looking straight at me, I am sure he saw me. Perhaps because I stayed still and very quiet, he didn’t see me as a threat, or perhaps he just wanted to get his picture taken lol! :)

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  11. This is such a soul gratifying post..and you are so blessed to witness such beauty around you!

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