Magical Deer and Foxgloves
by Peggy Collins
Title
Magical Deer and Foxgloves
Artist
Peggy Collins
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
I have a bit of a story to tell about this deer doe that I photographed in front of a stand of foxglove flowers at the edge of a forest.
I had been looking for an owl family in the woods but didn't come across them for the first time in a couple of weeks so I continued down a hill until I spotted this fantastic bunch of foxgloves growing by the forest's edge, mostly hidden by some cut logs. I was busy photographing the foxgloves when I saw this doe step out of the forest to my right. I started photographing her although she was in a bit of a dip in the field so not much was visible behind the daisies, thistles, foxgloves, and other vegetation. After a moment, I noticed a small movement very close to her and I realized that there was a buck with his antlers in velvet lying there. A minute or so later he stood up. I was clicking away madly, trying my best to get clear of the greenery without drawing their attention. The buck grazed a little but also gave chase to the doe in between mouthfuls. I took a cautious step towards them and he was immediately alerted to the slight sound of me stepping on a stick. But he didn't seem to mind. I'm pretty sure they were both aware of my presence. After a few minutes the buck wandered into the woods.
The doe continued to graze throughout the abundant field. She moved out of sight, behind the stacked logs, so I took that opportunity to get closer. Eventually she came around the logs. She kept getting closer and closer to me while I photographed her. I was out in the open now and she was fully aware of my presence. Many times she looked at me with a curious expression on her face. She kept coming until she was about 10 feet away. Then she walked by me, hurrying just a little for a few steps, until she was behind me. I turned around to see her standing in front of the foxgloves I had just been photographing. That's when I took this picture, with her posed perfectly in front of the wildflowers. She meandered a little closer to them then continued on to cross the path to another field.
It was a completely magical experience...I felt like we were communicating on some level that isn't human. The doe could've easily avoided me in the open field where there was a lot of room to manoeuver but she chose not to. I'm pretty sure I'll recognize her if I see her again because she has very distinctive "eyebrows". I think she may be pregnant, judging by the slight bulge in her belly. I would love to see her again.. That's one thing about this kind of experience with wildlife...once you've had a magical experience, you want to repeat it over and over again.
Day 14 - "Magical Deer and Foxgloves" is my entry on day 14 of Fine Art America's 30 Day Challenge to create a new work each day for 30 days in a row.
Uploaded
June 13th, 2021
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Comments (3)
Maria Faria Rodrigues
Congratulations, your amazing photograph is Featured, in the RED MAPLE GALLERY, homepage group, of Fine Art America!
Dianne Sherrill
What a wonderful and magical experience! Loved your story, beautiful and memorable image Peggy!
Peggy Collins replied:
Thanks very much, Dianne! Honestly, I'm still floating from this experience. I went back to the area today to look for my friend but she was nowhere to be seen. I felt such a connection to her!