We had a rare treat this week on the Florida Trails (East). We had just spoken to another hiker that went ahead of us and he motioned for us to come down where he was standing.
There were 3 deers grazing in the woods.
A big buck with velvet antlers....
a large buck with one antler bigger than the other
and a small one with small knobs (antlers).
But the most interesting thing was the path they took. They grazed and walked parallel to our trail.
So we got to keep them in view for quite awhile. It was amazing!
So did we really swim with the Wood Ducks at Blue Run Park this week!
Oh my NO...that would have been embarrassing! They were mating (and in the swamp!)
We looked up the behavior online when we got home. She went down deep in the water and made her body like a surfboard.
And then when he climbed on her back, he grabbed some of her feathers in his beak to balance himself. (I thought he was keeping her head above water....but no, he just needed his balance.)
And they lived happily ever after swimming through the duckweed!
Take time to stop and smell the wildflowers!
Have you been able to get out in nature this week? I hope so!
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38 comments:
🤭 Very interesting and you described it so well.
What a treat to see the deer, they are beautiful!
excellent photos of the deer and i especially like the last one. the ducks are so beautiful... even the swampy water is pretty. exciting to see all this in one trip
Hello,
They are always wonderful to see, I love the sweet deer. They have beautiful eyes.
I love the Wood Ducks too, great sightings and photos. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend!
Wow, I love the photos of the deer and ducks. Isn’t that unusual behavior for bucks? I think wood ducks are so pretty.
...great shots, I love them all.
Oh, those deer are so special each and every time we see them. And what a treat it was to see some Bucks! The deer I saw recently looked like they were female, but there could have been some Buck in there, I'm not sure. What a special gift you received that day, Diane.
~Sheri
You had quite a week on your hikes! Love the deer shots!
soooooo interesting!! i have seen other ducks mate and it was quite violent!!
the bucks are beautiful, reminding us that there is still a lot of wildlife roaming freely, that makes me happy!!
the new header is very pretty...enjoy your weekend!!
How cool was that to hike with the deer.
How nice for the deer to walk along beside you like that. Interesting about the ducks. Hope you are having a great weekend!
Such a special treat to be able to walk along with the deer. They must be used to people walking along the trail.
What a treat to see all those deer together. They are lovely creatures, aren't they? So very graceful! As always, I love all your pictures, Diane. Happy Hiking! xo Diana
The mating ducks made me chuckle... we always said that 'a duck is ducking a duck'. The deer are amazing! How great that they allowed you to follow along like that! Great photos!! xo
Wow! You really got some amazing photos this time! Three bucks together...that is amazing. Wonder if they are brothers...but they are in different stages of antler growth. I don't know much about that part. Fascinating. But no more fascinating that watching the wood ducks in their mating ritual! Now THAT'S fascinating! Makes me want to pay more attention to our wood ducks on our pond...however they usually stay just out of my sight. If I even breathe outside they will fly away quickly. They are very timid. They rarely come to our side of the pond so I can get a good view. But oh, what fun it would be if someday they show up with baby ducks! Thank you for this lovely nature review today! Loved it!!
Lovely captures of the ducks and deer!
Oh, now I need to go out in nature again! Love it!
Hello.
Interesting post. Great photos of deer. Wood duck is so beautiful.
Thank you for sharing.
Well, the buck stops there, I guess! I love to see deer. So graceful. I did see some nature today, mainly plants, though.
What a lovely place to hike. Our trails are starting to get muddy again and within a month some will be under water. The deer will be seeking higher ground and we will start seeing more of them.
Bonitas fotografías como siempre. Besos.
Between the deer and the mating ducks it was indeed a great walk.
Gorgeous Deer series, and Wood Duck, fantastic.
You were so lucky to see the deer for such a while without them running away. Normally I have a few seconds before a deer runs off because it has seen me. As for the ducks, I think you were right to observe and to describe. Not everyone gets to see what ducks do.
The deer photos are spectacular and the mating ducks was a nice surprise. Fantastic day on the trail for you. Enjoy the day.
You always see the neatest things on your hikes! I can't believe you got so close to the deer, and for such a long time! The ducks, also! How interesting. What a gorgeous day for a walk. Debbie xo
Cathing the mating ducks, a moment you may see in Natural Geographic. And the deer are lovely, were they far away? Great pictures. And I read the book you are reviewing. It was just so good.
Wonderful sighting of the deer, and Wood Ducks are very pretty!
Well I declare! I learn something new all the time. The wood ducks are beautiful. I like the deer pictures too.
Great photos! I miss seeing the deer in my yard since we moved back to the city. We do have a Jack rabbit😁😁
That was a nice and interesting tour with you on your hike. Beautiful deer keeping you company as they grazed. Interesting info on the Wood Ducks and how they mate. Very educational.
Nice deer photos, the sunlight really makes the photos more beautiful.
I always feel so blessed to see the deer! They're lovely.
This was a great hike :)
Your deers looks so beautiful in the summer colors. They are quite different from ours. The hide almost copper in color. Beautiful shots.
I have seen ducks mating and the first time when I did not understand the behavior I was scared. I thought she would drown. :( I still don´t like seeing it. Maybe because I am prone to leg cramps and have to be careful when swimming.
Thanks for sharing the beauties.
A great pleasure to see these photos, beautiful deer and adorable ducks!
Keep watching, soon you will hopefully see the wood ducks with their babies! Amazing views of the deer just strolling right along with you. So cool.
So lovely to see the deer, they are beautiful critters :)
All the best Jan
The deer were having a bachelor party. Guess none of the ladies are impressed with their little horns.
Jeannie@GetMeToTheCountry
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