Longtime readers will remember Ellen, the stunted doe who first appeared in our yard in the winter of 2008/09. It felt like forever, but she finally showed up for the first time this winter on January 29, 2015.
You can read how she got her name (her last name's Barkin) here.
She looked absolutely terrible in 2012/13. See her here.
I think she looks great in 2015.
Whew!! She's back, and she survived the fusillade. I always sweat hunting season, worrying some bored hunter is going to shoot my precious crooked doe, thinking she's a tender yearling. She is anything but.
Ellen usually has her child of the year with her, often a buck. She's barely larger than he is, but she makes beautiful children.
We know Ellen by her funny crooked face and the odd set of her ears (she's to the left, above).
She usually pushes her child around when there's corn to be had. But she's a lot gentler with this button buck. She doesn't strike him; she just nudges him when she wants him to move over.
Bill says it reminds him of the way I kind of shoulder Liam aside when I'm cooking and he's hanging around getting between me and what I'm trying to do.
Just a little "Move along, now, son."
The Dog Dish Birdbath continues to be a huge hit. I dump it out and refill it with hot water every day. No thanks to the mourning doves and starlings who aren't satisfied to drink from it, but feel they must crap copiously in it.
The cold has clamped down and the feeders are hoppin'.
And Ellen's coming in every day, and all is right with my world.
This photo series taken February 16, 2015.
5 comments:
Lovely. Ellen. Thanks.
It's always an occasion when an animal that one recognizes pays return visits. Rarely am I able to single one out from the herd. The only time I can remember was a blonde squirrel that came around for quite a few years. That's right -- blonde. It had lovely golden fur. I had never seen such a squirrel before or since.
She's probably safer being somewhat undersized. Most hunters tend to go for the biggest one they can find, so as to get the most meat for their money. I don't know of any one of them I ever heard say they want to look for smaller and more tender.
Hi Julie, did you notice the
cardinal flying in front of
the button buck in the 5th
picture of this series? Nice
work as usual, thank you!
Hap in New Hope (MN)
I have a "special" squirrel visitor with a truncated tail....it's around now and then for about 6 yrs...
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