Tulips up close: Macro Monday

Here’s a picture of tulips up close growing in my garden. There’s something special about these two flowers.

tulips up close

They are the first to make it to this stage without being eaten by our resident deer!

Mule deer

Macro Monday

The guy next door: Monochrome Monday

the guy next door buck

We have a resident herd of mule deer here and I refer to this buck as the guy next door. He didn’t seem to be bothered by my presence at all.

Monochrome Monday

Reindeer tryouts at Malheur NWR: Wordless Wednesday

Santas reindeer tryouts
Reindeer tryouts at Malheur NWR, Oregon

Wordless Wednesday https://wordpress.com/tag/wordless-wednesday

Homeward Bound sculpture: Sculpture Saturday

There’s a new sculpture at Tumalo Art Co. in Bend, Oregon. The Homeward Bound sculpture of a deer, by Danae Bennett Miller, is a cast bronze piece. Danae uses a lost wax process to create works of art. I previously featured one of her horse sculptures in Outdoor Horse Sculptures. That post highlights the work of several impressive sculptors.

Homeward Bound sculpture in Bend, Oregon

Yew branches up close: Macro Monday

Yew branches August 2020

This yew plant in my garden measured three feet in height for many years. I don’t think it was fond of our High Desert temperature fluctuations. Last year it finally grew taller so now it’s almost five feet tall.

Yesterday I caught one of our resident “landscapers” chewing on the new growth. Guess he thought it needed a trim. 😉

Buck mule deer

Macro Monday

Mule Deer Field Trip near Bend, Oregon

At this time of year, mule deer are migrating and breeding in Central Oregon. Your best chances of seeing this nighttime-feeding deer are in the early hours of the morning or in the late evening. On a chilly November morning, High Desert Museum Curator of Wildlife, Jon Nelson, led a group of people eager to learn more about mule deer.

Mule Deer 10June2016

Mule Deer in the West

The mule deer is uniquely adapted to the environment of the American West. In the spring and summer they browse on plants in mountainous areas. As winter approaches, mule deer pack on the calories and move to lower elevations. Deer in the Cascades migrate eastwards and have to navigate their way past Highway 97. Underpasses help large numbers of deer make that journey. As the deer continue eastwards, hundreds can be seen in the area between Silver Lake and Fort Rock during fall and winter months.

In Central Oregon, deer feed mainly on bitterbrush, Idaho fescue grass, and sagebrush. They are not as dependent on the availability of water since they get much of what they need from their diet. On the field trip, Sand Spring was one of the few water sources we saw. It’s fenced to keep cattle out but the deer, as you probably know, can easily clear most fences if they want to get a drink.

Mule Deer buck 8August2017

Should you feed deer in your yard? No. If deer eat food provided by humans, it can have devastating effects. Their gut has evolved to process certain foods. If they eat other foods, it can kill the good bacteria in their stomachs. This can cause illness or even death. Certain diseases are spread to other deer via their saliva so you may not want to give them salt licks either.

Mule deer can often be found in ecotones, edge habitats between two plant communities. They can also find their preferred food plants in areas that are becoming re-established, including those affected by fires and clear-cutting. Deer seek out certain areas using behavioral thermal regulation. For example, they bed down on south and east facing slopes where it tends to be warmer.

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Fuzzy Lawn Art: Mule Deer Bucks

Three mule deer in Bend, Oregon 9August2017These guys are so helpful at keeping our landscaping plants nice and trimmed – NOT! This is the view out my front window of three mule deer bucks. They were enjoying the plants so much they did not want to leave.

Three mule deer bucks in Bend, Oregon 9August2017

Weekly Photo Challenge – Windows