Now I know why the deer haven’t been ringing my doorbell and asking for handouts this year. They’ve found easier pickings thanks to a nearby farmer that didn’t harvest all his corn.

Can you find the deer in this photo? I did but I had the advantage of seeing some movement.

I’ll make it easier and zoom in. This is the same photo – only cropped and displayed without resizing the image smaller.

This time it should be easier. I did try to get closer and managed somewhat before my wildlife repellent gave me away. Following her nose the dog never did see the deer but they sure noticed her. There are two deer in the photo.

Same photo cropped for a better look at one of the deer. This photo is linked to one sized 1024 x 768 to use as desktop wallpaper.

One last look before turning tail. This image is also available to use as wallpaper

In all there were 4 deer in that spot. At the other end of the corn field I caught sight of a couple tails flashing as more deer bolted for the woods. I might leave Pookey behind tomorrow and see just how close I can get.

Rumor has it that Spring is making an appearance on Long Island this week-end and temps are supposed to be 50+ F for days on end. The temptation is too much for me to resist so I’m headed south to soak up some ‘heat’. Soon as I post this I’m out the door.

With the ground here still frozen the grass on the other side of the fence (Adirondack Mountains) is definitely greener. I’ll take me about 3 hours to drive through the mountains and I expect a noticeable change in the climate as I approach Albany. By the time I hit NYC I’ll be at least 3 hardiness happiness zones higher.

It’s too bad some residents are stuck here. Not that I feel sorry for them, I just want to get rid of these pests. These photos were taken on the last day of February. Since then the snow has pretty much melted.

I saw these deer in a neighbor’s driveway as I drove by.

Tryouts for a chorus line. They’re out of step but young and learning. Too bad they learn I put out a nice salad bar in the garden.

Who knows when I’ll return? I’ll be gone at least a week. With a days drive on both ends of the trip I hate to stay less than a week. I’ll be back by the 19th at the latest.

After making the sacrificial snowman yesterday I decided to leave my wildlife repellant home and see if I could actually catch a photo of some of the local wildlife.

It didn’t take long before I found fresh tracks. I had disturbed a couple of deer and heard them move off through the woods. They usually don’t run far when the dog isn’t with me so I stood silent for a while then moved off slowly in the direction I last heard them.

We spotted each other at the same time. One froze while the other bolted.

We weren’t more than 100 feet apart. Both of us stood motionless for a few minutes before I raised the camera. When the deer didn’t flee with that motion I decided to make the first real move. Breaking eye contact I side stepped and froze, side stepped and froze in an attempt to circle around. Finally getting around to the front I made eye contact again. It was a stand off now.

Knowing I wasn’t going to get any closer I waved and sent the deer on it’s way. I was now close to the river so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to take a couple more photos of the ice jam. The rain had started to come down heavier and gave the scene a foggy look.

It was time to head home. I was getting soaked through by the rain and photographing anything was getting nearly impossible with it getting on the lens.

On the way I spotted another Porcupine. This one didn’t seem to know if it wanted in or out of the tree hollow. Blending into the tree I almost missed it. It figures – I spend days trying to find one and after I did another just pops out.

I was nearly home when I had a feeling of being watched. I stopped and looked around but saw only trees. Sensing a presence I again waited motionless.

I wasn’t alone. Curiosity got the better part of a squirrel and I caught a flicker of motion as it sneaked a peek at me. We played peek-a-boo for a while. I’d move off and wait a while then return and hold still. After a bit it would sneak another peek but I never could get close enough for a good photo.

When I got home Pookey was still mad at me for leaving her behind.