Lovely Evening: Deer & Kingbirds

What a lovely evening it was tonight! I stood out on my deck and watched deer, bald eagles, catbirds, wood ducks, tree swallows, and Carolina wrens. A cooling breeze blew lightly as the sun illuminated the "lake" as the clouds parted. Cricket frogs were beginning to sing as the sun dropped below the tree-line.

                                          Copyright Joni L. James

The white-tail deer have been foraging on the far side of the "lake" among the young willow trees. Last night two does ripe with milk foraged and tonight I observed 2 bucks with velvet covered antlers feeding and later one doe.

                                          Copyright Joni L. James

I have noticed the last several evenings that Eastern kingbirds have been following the deer as they forage on the vegetation. No doubt a symbiotic relationship in which the kingbirds benefit not only from the insects stirred up by the movements of the deer but also the insects which prey on the them.