The Deer of Spring...

I always look forward to this time of year.  It promises the opportunity to photograph recently born frolicking fawns.  Yesterday I went to a familiar field before sunrise hoping for just such an opportunity. 

Here, a doe tries to keep up with her energetic fawns as they dash across the open field...

If you look at the doe's left rear leg you can see that her foot is severely deformed.  I don't know if she was struck by a car, stepped in a hole or suffered some other injury.  I do know I have seen her for the past three years and while the injury causes her to limp she seems to thrive otherwise and delivers fawns each year...

Today I returned hoping to obtain some better photos of the doe and her fawns.  Instead, I was greeted by the somber sight of the doe and only one fawn crossing the same field that they bounded across yesterday...

Today the remaining fawn did not rush ahead of the doe.  Instead, it stayed close by her side.  I have no way of knowing what happened to the other fawn.  I hope it was just being lazy and sleeping in.  I will go back tomorrow hoping to see them both once more.

Shortly after taking the photos of the doe and fawn I moved to another location and found two bucks feeding in a corn field.  Their antlers are still developing and covered in velvet...

Deer suffer terribly from flies at this time of year.  If you look carefully you can see four of them swarming around this buck...

Perhaps the flies are what made the deer dash for the forest...

Just a short time later I saw another doe walking in the corn...

Thanks for visiting.  Check back soon.