Twice now, I’ve startled deer browsing in last year’s leaves below the porch. The first time was when I opened the door hoping to chase a squirrel from the feeder. Not only did I spook the squirrel, but a lovely doe as well. I berated myself for not thinking before opening the door, but lucky for me, the doe returned later, and I finally remembered what might have lured her back.
Several nights later, I opened the inner door around 9 p.m. and watched as a small herd of five deer sauntered off along the top of a nearby slope, their shapes dim shadows against the full moon’s light. Their rustlings among the dried leaves came to me as the darkness swallowed them up, and I wished them further sustenance on that cold, quiet night.
Several weeks ago, I began noticing that blue jays love dried corn, so I started scattering more of it out there. Though she appeared healthy and well-fed, the doe must have returned from the pure instinct of having found a new treat where no such thing ever existed before. She was out there quite some time before finally trotting off into the woods across the road. Interestingly enough, squirrels don’t seem to take too well to the corn. Maybe it’s too labor-intensive or maybe they just don’t like the taste, much preferring the more expensive black-oil sunflower seed to the plump yellow kernels.
Another performance that I am privy to these days is the lively interaction of the various species of woodpeckers as they vie for the small space atop the one suet feeder I’ve set out. So far, it’s a matter of who gets there first, while the others fly back and forth over the porch hoping to get a peck or two in. Usually, a very large, male red-bellied woodpecker hogs the cake, but a big, male hairy woodpecker is never far away awaiting his turn. And then, if those ruffians have either forgotten the suet or have found something even tastier elsewhere, both male and female downy woodpeckers move in to make the most of the rare moments when they have it all to themselves.
After awhile, the blue jays can’t wait any longer, so they swoop in en masse to scare off both the squirrels and the woodpeckers, thus claiming the suet for a few minutes. Meanwhile, nuthatches, titmice and chickadees wait in the sidelines or peck on the ground for any droppings rather than challenge the larger, more aggressive birds. Ideally, the doe and her peers eventually return in the dead of night to polish off whatever has fallen within an area in which they feel comfortable to forage.
Fortunately for the deer, it’s been a relatively snowless winter so far, which is a boon during the coldest months when food is hard to come by, and they must resort to browsing among low-hanging tree branches. This doe was plump and her coat a rich, smooth brown with no obvious disfigurements, so she’s been eating well. So have the squirrels, as there are still plenty of acorns scattered across the landscape ”“ the half-eaten remains of which I am often finding on the porch steps.
A friend of mine who lives not far from here is religious about feeding the wildlife during the winter months. While there is much debate as to the wisdom of this practice, she insists that the deer, turkeys and smaller birds need the extra help with which she provides them. Hers is no small budget, for she buys deer food by the 100-pound bag, and faithfully trucks this out to a spot roughly 200 feet from her barn each day ”“ sometimes through deep snow. Thus, whenever I visit, I am assured of a wonderful performance as herds of deer emerge from the woods and move cautiously toward the feeding area. More often than not, they are joined by turkeys, including toms in full feather, and dozens of females trying to avoid their romantic advances.
If it means putting out a little food now and then, it’s well worth it. For if nothing else, these wild creatures serve as gentle, unobtrusive reminders of one of the most basic processes that is crucial to their survival, thus assuring our own in the bargain.
— Rachel Lovejoy, a freelance writer living in Lyman, who enjoys exploring the woods of southern Maine, can be reached via email at rachell1950@yahoo.com.
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