Regular Visitors

Twins heading across our driveway towards the house.

One of the twins, watching me in the window.

We live adjacent to a state park and have quite a bit of wildlife in our yard.   Bears are more common in New Jersey than the most people might think.    Thankfully, I've only seen one.  However, it was right outside by kitchen window helping himself to the bird feeder!  Made me a bit hesitant to venture into the park in the mornings with the dogs.   Yup, you can call me chicken!   I think I might fit have some feathers!   Rabbits and squirrels are very common and much less scarry!  Raccoons have become a somewhat regular nightly visitor to the bird feeder and the feeder now has to be brought in at night before we go broke feeding the little dudes.  There is the occasional fox sighting but the sight of a fox during broad daylight is not common and usually not a good sign.  But, the most regular visitor we have are the deer.   Several years ago we fenced in our back yard for the dogs and fenced OUT the deer.    There are very few plants deer do not eat, or at least taste.  There are several books on deer proof landscaping, but we have found many of the "safe" plants to be fair game for the deer in our area.  We had to make small fenced in areas in the front yard for flowers and plants to protect them - or have none which was not an option.  Although it is frustrating to loose plants to the deer, this time of year is so special to watch the fawns play and grow up comfortable that our yard is  home.  It's very special and I would not trade it.  It's the reason the entire yard is not fenced in.  What is  the point of living in the woods and fencing it out all.   I could not get a video of the fawns playing but have a few pictures as they are so comfortable that they come right up to the house.   In May, a week old fawn wandered up to our front door and spent the better part of the day lying in the sun, waiting for its mama.  That's not where she left it.  Something spooked it from a safer spot and it ran and decided inside our fence by the door was a good spot and settled down at our front door.   We were held hostage in the house watching it until it left mid afternoon.  It was very special to watch.  So tiny.  And now we see him/her playing in the yard.   Makes me happy!