FEEDING DEER AND OTHER WILDLIFE

      Several trough feeders, daily loaded with oats, acorns and apples, provide food for over 60 white-tailed deer, a couple dozen wild turkeys and about a score of mourning doves every day in the mixed deciduous/coniferous woods outside Brownsville in central Maine.  All these critters, plus sprinklings of blue jays and starlings, a pair of hairy woodpeckers, and a few each of gray squirrels and red squirrels are seen close-up by live cameras and computer screens, including mine.  

     Feeding wildlife is not natural, but the creatures still live outdoors and are free to follow their own instincts.  They are still part of the ecosystem around them, and entertaining as they gather food and socialize with other members of each creature's kind.  And they are enjoyed by many people who see them on-line, and are inspired by them.

     It's exciting, and inspiring to see groups of deer, turkeys and doves coming to the feeders, at multiple times each day, on our computer screen.  The deer and turkeys show up on foot, but the doves fly directly to the feeders.  Deer come to the feeders individually, seemingly without pattern, but some of the turkeys walk in a seemingly organized line to the feeders at times.     

     Wildlife concentrated at feeders and viewed by live cameras don't know they are being watched and go about their daily business accordingly.  We see what different species do when relaxed in the wild.  And we see how handsome, healthy and athletic each animal is when seen close-up via live cameras and computer screens.  I think, for example, that white-tailed deer of all ages and both genders are the most beautiful, graceful two-toed animals in the world.  Luckily for many people, they are common through much of the United States.  The beauties and health of wild turkeys, mourning doves and the other wild animals here are also seen on computer screens.  

     It's interesting to see pecking orders among groups of each kind of creature at the deer feeders in Maine, as everywhere else.  A deer that rears up on its back legs with its ears laid back is showing aggression, probably over food at the troughs.  Some turkeys and doves also seem to routinely dominate some of their relatives at the feeding stations, in their quest for the best, or most, food.  

     Although one can daily experience the intriguing deer, turkeys and doves, there were some other sightings, on-line, that were impressive, and worth relating.  Snow lies on the backs of deer and doesn't melt, indicating how well their hollow hairs insulate them, keeping them quite warm.  In January, I saw some bucks with one antler, or only the scars on their heads where antlers were as the bucks were dropping their bony weapons after the rut, peaking in November.  

Once, on-line, a barred owl was seen catching a mouse by a feeder.  Occasionally, a coyote patrols the trough feeders, probably hoping to catch mice.    

     Another time, I saw a red fox chasing a gray squirrel at top speed, frightening some of the turkeys close at hand.  The squirrel was almost caught, but ran up a tree to safety.  Once I saw a pair of red foxes together that might have been a mated pair.  

    Viewing creatures at feeders can be entertaining and inspiring to many of us.  And for some of us, it might be the only way we get to see certain kinds of wonderful wildlife.      

     

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