As we wrapped up our Sunday walk at a local park and were starting to head home, we came upon a family of deer by the side of the road. I slowed the car, then came to a stop probably fifteen or twenty yards away from them. We all watched each other for a few minutes – the dogs were spellbound, but didn’t bark. I think they were trying to figure out what these strange animals were.
It’s not unusual to see a deer every now and then, but to see a group of them together, and not fearful of us, was a special moment.
Cautiously inquisitive
they stand still at the edge of the road, ears alert
tails flickering nervously.
We watch each other
Two different worlds meeting, longing
to know more.
Dogs in the back seat, eyes wide
mouths agape, soft panting.
Is instinct kicking in? Or are they
wondering if these creatures want to play?
Have you had a close encounter with wildlife recently?
RB
What a wonderful surprise! Seeing a family of deer at the end of your walk must have been a peaceful and memorable moment. Nature always knows how to end the day beautifully.
It was definitely a special moment. We hope to meet them again.
A beautiful moment captured in time. Even the doggos were entranced. Great photo of a joyful experience, Richard!
Thank you, MM. 🙂 I feel very lucky to have captured this moment.
What a magical moment! 💞
Very much so, Dawn. I was also impressed at how well the pups behaved. 🙂
They felt the magic as well!
A peaceful and observational moment that captures the quiet beauty of nature and the unexpected encounters that make everyday walks memorable. 🦌🌿✨
Thank you for the kind words, Safia. I’m glad you enjoyed this.
Deer are somewhat adaptive creatures. I have heard solitary deer galop on the streets at night. They go into hiding during the daytime. Your encounter reminds me of a sighting from earlier this year. I had awakened from my morning nap when I glanced out the window and saw a doe standing near the garage. Before I could fetch a camera, she had wondered into the backyard and towards the neighbor’s property. She promptly descended into the riverbank–out of sight.
I think encounters like that are so special. Random, quiet, and imbedded in memory.
There’s a dreamlike quality about the encounters.
You have beautifully expressed the encounter with the “group of deer” Richard
Living in a city,such encounters are rare for me
Thank you for the kindness, Nusrat. I hope you get outside of the city soon and get a chance to experience some beautiful natural surroundings. 🙂
How lovely! No, I’ve not had any recent fauna encounters.
Thank you, Sheree.
Here’s hoping you see some butterflies or a lovely flock of birds soon. 🙂
The birds, particularly our mischief of magpies have been noisy all week. I think some have a nest in a nearby tree.
I have seen a family of dolphins swimming at Pacific Beach in San Diego and kaleidoscope of young Monarchs on a country road, plus the two bucks that ran into my car. That’s about if.
Oh, I forgot about the deer encounter you had, Pat. I hope I didn’t stir up bad memories! 😉
We get to see dolphins down here in the Gulf of Mexico. Such a heart-warming sight. 🐬
Lovely poem and description of your close encounter. Living in the city, many of my wildlife encounters are not of the pleasant kind (rats), but I did recently see a white squirrel during one of my neighborhood walks–a sight as rare as hen’s teeth. I was able to capture it on my phone as it scampered around with a brown squirrel who was extreme protective of it.
Thanks so much, Miss Parker. Isn’t seeing a white squirrel supposed to be good luck? 😉 Next time, make a wish and see if it comes true. 🐿️
I live a 15 min. Drive away from a deer park! And they are suprinsingly quite tame, especially if you bring the goodies.
So, I often bring a bag or carrots or apples to feed them 🙂
It confirms what I see on the nature documentaries; the males intimidate each other during mating season, respect the boundaries when it isn’t and moms are just super cute with their babes!
I did two long-ish round trips in Canada, one on the East coast and the other one in the West.
I so badly wanted to see a moose in the wild and there were so many traffic signs! But the closest I got was seeing their footprints in the snow 😅
And as for beavers (which are probably in my top 5 favourite animals), I saw many dams, but the animals itself were playing hide and seek .
I identidy with your dogs! I get insanely excited when I see even a glimps of wildlife. I just want to run around and play with them 😄
Oh, that’s fantastic, Andrea! The deer here in Florida are actually quite small compared to other areas of the country, but they are still adorable and, in this case, somewhat friendly. I’m not sure they’d take food from me, but I may try to bring some cut carrots next time and see what happens!
I’ve never seen a moose in person, or a beaver, but if you’re interested in alligators and snakes, you should visit Florida. 🤣