Three of the resident herd huddled in the snow outside our window this morning.  They belong to a group of at least eleven deer who make their home in the woods on either side of The Ridge.  Last week, during the ice storm, the entire herd picked its way up the main drive of the complex.

These two in the photo are yearlings from last spring.  I’m pretty sure I saw these twins as spotted fawns crossing streets in the village behind their mother.

“A deer’s home range is usually less the a square mile. Deer collect in family groups of a mother and her fawns. When a doe has no fawns, she is usually solitary. Male bucks may live in groups consisting of three or four individuals, except in mating  season, when they are solitary.”  (https://nhpbs.org/natureworks/whitetaileddeer.htm)

Too bad these lovely animals carry such a dangerous disease and are the bane of gardeners.  They are so elegant to watch, and bring a bit of the wild right outside our window.