Focusing on Nature

 

Focusing on Nature

Nature has been a bit more obvious around here lately, with squirrels dashing in front of cars, hawks flying down closer to people and deer gallivanting on streets and in backyards. Here is an example. There were actually five deer crossing our backyard the other day. Two moved off into our neighbor’s property behind the children’s playground. One had stopped for a moment to look at the swings. I wondered if it was considering having a ride. When my husband came out with his camera, the deer moved on. They crossed the street slowly as if they were just out for a daily walk.

I think that our housing development was built on the deer’s natural roaming path. They figured out how to navigate around the fences that some of our neighbors have erected. We are used to them coming into our back to munch on our plants and our sweet cherry tree. But they have been showing up more frequently and being less reserved.

I think we all are looking at things differently now. What used to be in the background of our busy lives has come to be more prominent in our awareness as we become more locally aware. Focusing on nature is a way to step out of our daily worries and be lifted by its beauty or be delightfully surprised by an unusual encounter. I think of it as a gift that opens me up to a wider perspective.

Day Lilies and Deer

Day Lilies and Deer

There was a visitor to our neighbor’s front yard the other day. A deer was enjoying the daylilies that greeted visitors to their front entrance. It was munching away peacefully and only looked up occasionally to check out its surroundings.

This wasn’t the first deer that has visited our street. We occasionally see one behind our house enjoying the flowers that pop up each spring. Sometimes there will be several deer walking from backyard to backyard, snacking on the plantings along the way. I think they come from a township set-aside nature path about half a mile away.

Wild animals seem to be getting more used to people around here. Years ago the deer would spring off if they saw a person anywhere nearby but now they just watch to see if there is any danger and then continue eating. I do qi gong exercises out back and have noticed a rabbit watching while it munches but it doesn’t dart away.

We chatted with our neighbor as we watched the deer enjoying its treat and when it darted off, we felt we had experienced something special. It’s nice to know that we can coexist peacefully with other beings. I hope we can remember that it is also possible to interact peacefully, to respect and value each other, and to remind ourselves that we all share this incredible earth.

About day lilies:

https://www.friendsofthewildflowergarden.org/pages/plants/yellowdaylily.html

More Deer

More Deer

I saw another deer, well, three actually. This time they were healthy and strong unlike the poor deer that wandered into my backyard last time. They ambled about hardly paying any attention to the humans mesmerized by their presence. I wondered what they were finding to eat. Did they like the tiny Rose of Sharon bushes that were trying to get started at the foot of the maple tree? Were they munching on the wild strawberry plants that tend to spread wherever they can?

They wandered through the hedges into one neighbor’s yard, then moved to another. Then they moved on, to where I don’t know. I think it was to the woods a couple of blocks away behind the elementary school. But to get there, they would have to cross a busy road and several streets. Surely someone must see them on the way.  I try to be on the lookout for wandering deer but they always pop up as a surprise.

Perhaps it’s time to put up a deer crossing sign next to the school crossing sign. I want to protect any being, human or otherwise. But deer overpopulation is becoming a problem. The New York Times reported on Saturday that New York City's Department of Parks and Recreation has a deer sterilization program in the works in Staten Island. Will that take care of the problem? It takes time and will the deer population continue to grow in the interim? Here are some things to think about in this regard, researched by Koryos: http://www.koryoswrites.com/nonfiction/white-tailed-deer-overpopulation-in-the-united-states/ 

Have any thoughts on the issue?

Young Hungry Deer

Young Hungry Deer

We live on a fairly ordinary street, nature-wise. The animals we mostly see in our backyard are squirrels, chipmunks, a groundhog here and there or an unexpected skunk. The birds are more varied with a variety of finches, blue jays, cardinals, sparrows, a woodpecker every now and then. The usual suburban mixture though sometimes we get a surprise.

Earlier this year we saw some adult deer making their way in back of our houses on their way to, well, who knows where. They were in a group of five and looked healthy. This morning we had a deer walk into our yard and slowly make its way into the garden behind our dining room.  

Most of the time when I see a deer, I am charmed by its understated beauty but this time I gaped at it for another reason; it was young, a fawn on its own, and it seemed malnourished. Its bones were visible along its hide. The mother in me wanted to whip up a nourishing breakfast but I know that feeding a fawn is not the good for the animal. It was moot anyway, as our visitor inspected the hydrangea bush just beyond the window, moved along the back of the house, and was gone.

So much of our natural habitat is being shifted into living quarters for humans. There are deer crossing signs on many roads now, with occasional duck or turtle crossing warnings.

It would be great if animals and people could live side-by-side peacefully. It would be terrific if we humans could do that too, letting each other live and thrive and express ourselves with respect and tolerance. May none of us be hungry for the basics of a good life.

Facts about whitetail deer:

https://americanexpedition.us/learn-about-wildlife/whitetail-deer-facts-information-and-photos/  

Hawk Sighting

Hawk Sighting

This has been an interesting time in my backyard. Last week there were three deer sprinting through the bushes on their way to who knows where. I live in a housing development but there are a few woodsy places not far away. Why would they venture out of those beautiful areas to a place with houses and fences?

Then this week, there was a hawk hanging out under the leafless redbud tree out back. It just stood there for a while, seemingly checking out its surroundings. I’ve seen hawks circling above my yard and occasionally swooping down to grab a bird or chipmunk but this one seemed to be just hangin’ out. Then it flew to a branch on the tulip tree and there I could see the white under-feathers of a catch that hadn’t been obvious before. Later it returned to the ground and really chowed down, not my favorite thing to see though I realize that every creature needs to eat.

I imagine we’ll be seeing more hawks around here in the future. As the land gets more developed, the wildlife become more visible. We take away habitat. Even as more land is set aside for green preservation, it doesn’t undo what already has been used for human purposes. I wonder what incredible sightings will come next. I hope we all can learn to live peacefully with each other.

More hawk photos and info:

https://www.beautyofbirds.com/hawks.htm

Hawk facts:

http://theraptortrust.org/the-birds/hawk-facts/ 

Coping with Winter

Coping with Winter

We’ve had a few cloudy days here, some rain, a bit of snow these past few weeks. Things look bare and winter-worn and we are only a third of the way into the season. The trees reveal their hidden nests, small ones for birds, larger ones for squirrels. The natural world seems to be in waiting mode.

What about all the excitement of the new year? Has it disappeared already?

Not for Mother Nature, it hasn’t. Nature is alive and active: there is life to protect during the cold months. The leaves may be gone but the trees have merely slowed down, conserving their energy in a process called dormancy, waiting for Spring. Squirrels are busy fattening up for the coming cold weather still to come. Birds fluff up their feathers to keep themselves warm as they munch on the seed in the feeders or wherever they can find it and seek shelter in coniferous tree branches. Deer huddle in groups, slow their metabolism, and watch out for each other. Chipmunks semi-hibernate, lowering their body temperature, though they don’t actually sleep.  They are coping with winter in their own special ways.

And what about us? How are we coping with winter?

Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean we have to hibernate. It’s a good time to reconnect with friends who are busy all summer. Libraries offer programs like book discussions, art exhibits, author visits. Forget resolutions – follow your intentions to do what feels right to you. Every year, every season has its excitement. It’s called life.

How trees survive winter:

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/how-do-trees-survive-winter

Birds keep warm in winter:

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/how-do-trees-survive-winter

Oh Dear, Deer

The forest looks barren and lonely in winter. Its trees still hold onto the dried, brown leaves, a memory of more verdant seasons. The wind rustles the crisp foliage in a visual image that would be a good set for a sub-titled noir film. The scene is deceptive, however. Hidden behind the dreariness is new growth, buds emerging from branches with their green promises. And somewhere within the plot and between the trees is new life. Deer are concealed there, beautiful, limber creatures that bound through the self-made paths. If this were a protected and enclosed environment it would be delightful to watch them. But deer cause problems.

This is the suburbs, after all, where houses border the rare patches of undeveloped land and cars zip by even on 25 MPH designated roadways. There is no protection here and deer often emerge at unexpected times, springing across the road into the middle of traffic. If they are lucky, the cars will stop but that isn’t always the case. I saw a dead deer among the edge grasses two weeks ago; my sister saw one this week. Then there was the time when three tiny deer sprinted in front of my car. They were young and small; they almost looked like large dogs. I pressed hard on my brakes and put on my flashers to alert the cars behind. The deer made it safely across into the woods – this time - though it might have ended differently. The number of deer-vehicle accidents is in the thousands across the United States; cars, motorists, and deer are not always compatible.

Suburbs in general, however, and deer, are. The animals prefer the edge of the forest to deep woods so these sparse woodlands are ideal. In developing the land, we have removed the deer’s predators so the deer population has ballooned. Ask landscapers and gardeners how they feel about deer and the response may be less than joyful. Deer damage trees, eat crops, destroy flower gardens. Overpopulation is not controllable by hunting in populated areas. Fences and repellents have varying degrees of success in keeping deer away. And deer are hosts to ticks that transmit Lyme Disease.

It is a shame that people and deer cannot exist more comfortably together. I would rather think Oh! Deer! with a sense of wonder in the sighting than Oh, dear! when I see one on the road. Here is an article about the white-tailed deer, the good, the bad, and the problematic, from the Cornell Cooperative Extension program: http://wildlifecontrol.info/pubs/documents/deer/deer_factsheet.pdf

Have you had any deer encounters?