Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Drama in a Meadow off New York Drive

It is always fun to see deer - especially when you live in the city.   I saw these deer this afternoon at the edge of the meadow across from the old Earthlink building on New York Drive.  

There were four deer.  Two large deer and a couple of younger, smaller deer.    . 

Then I spotted another animal moving over the hillside above the meadow. . I couldn't get a great look at it.  But, it was definitely a cat. Looked like a bobcat or small mountain lion.   I saw the cat move along a stretch of chain link fence and then crouch down.     About fifty feet and a line of chain link separated the cat from the deer. 

I watched the drama play out from the street.   Would the cat go after the deer?

Then I moved in for a closer look.  Camera in hand, I very stealthily stepped over a string of wire and crept into the meadow.   With one eye I watched the animals.  With my other eye,  I tried to navigate the meadow without stepping on anything crunchy.


I made my way well into the meadow.   I still had a bead on the deer.   The cat lurked behind the deer. A hawk soared above.   Just a few more steps and I would pause for what was going to be a great picture.

Then, quail happened. 

I've seen quail in the meadow before.  They scurry around from bush to bush.  Fun to watch. Hard to follow.  Impossible (for me) to photograph.

I had taken one step too many.   A bevy of quail scattered across the ground in front of me.   I watched the birds dart through the brush.  Then, I looked up.  The deer were walking away.   I looked in vain for the cat.  It was gone.

The drama was done.  Show over.