Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Deer Without Fear


During a recent trip to Austin, Texas, I had the opportunity - many opportunities, in fact - to photograph a local herd of of remarkably tame deer.  The setting was pure suburbia, and the deer seem to flourish.  That is, if you don't take their size into account.  Their populations are out of control, and they are noticeably smaller than the white-tail deer in our neck of the woods.





The first photo shows a doe and a young spike buck.  Those two were often together, along with the doe's twin fawns.  The second shot shows the same doe and fawns along with another doe, also the mother of twins.  The final picture is of the four babies all hanging out together.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Name That Tune

This recording of a bird song was taken in Southborough, MA on June 8, 2012:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLDcuhfFCFQ&feature=youtu.be
The habitat was a mosaic of forest and field (hayfield and pasture)
dotted with clumps of shrubs. The song starts at 2 seconds and repeats
every 10-15 seconds. I never saw the bird, and don't know of any bird
found in this area which sounds exactly like it. I am wondering if it
is an unusual variation of the common yellowthroat, the typical rhythm
of which is often described as witchity-witchity-witchity. Other ideas?