Two jays, two deer

[eve_prime]

We still definitely have two scrub jays; whatever the outdoor cats did to some jay didn’t affect them in the least. This evening I was trying to read outside in J’s yard, but one of the jays was squawking so regularly that I started timing it – the average was 20-40 times per minute. Loudly. Eventually I went into my backyard to investigate. The sound moved from the scarlet oak through some large bushes over to the red cedar, at which point Oberon emerged from under the red cedar to get my attention and the bird fell silent. I then photographed it, and I discovered its quiet partner up at the top of the same tree.

I then returned to my chair in J’s yard to read, and the birds stayed mostly quiet. Soon a deer came through the gap in the fence caused a year and a half ago by a huge falling walnut branch, and she approached within about fifteen feet of me, quietly eating from the flowerbed (nothing desirable from my perspective) and the lawn. After a bit, a slightly smaller deer joined her. They were both mildly concerned about me, but I didn’t move much, and after about 20 minutes they wandered back into the neighbors’ yard.

Comments

[claidheamhmor]

It's so amazing you have deer wandering around like that.

[eve_prime]

They're around all summer long.

J considers them quite the nuisance, and it's true that it's a lot of work to clean up their side-effects before company comes, but I like them. Had he been reading outside with me instead of off doing swords, he'd have chased them out for sure.

I do try to keep them from eating the crocosmia flowers, since we like them for the hummingbirds, but they're not blooming yet.

[heleninwales]

How amazing to have deer wander into your garden. We have deer locally, but not down in town. We do get the occasional rabbit though.

[eve_prime]

They're regularly in the neighborhood all summer. Sometimes we have to slow down so they can cross a street. Sometimes they're even in something like a herd, up to a dozen or so, but that's rare. We also get wild turkeys, which are moderately big birds.

Rabbits, however, would be special to see!

[kaishin108]

The deer sound much sweeter than those scrub Jays!

[eve_prime]

J was annoyed that I didn't shoo them away, but I don't mind them (except for having to clean up after them).