More mewing

Early this morning, I heard a cat meowing. Nope, not gonna get fooled again, I thought. No doubt it's just a cat bird.

The mewing persisted and seemed to be getting louder. My goodness, Frumpkin is noisy this morning, I thought. (Frumpkin is Older Daughter's cat, and has a remarkably dainty "mew" for a cat his size.)

And still the mewing persisted. After a few more minutes I realized it wasn't so much a mew as a bleat. Meanwhile, Mr. Darcy was lying on the deck, staring down at something. I picked up my camera, crept out on the porch, and saw this:

Fawns bleat a surprising amount, and this little one was looking for his mother (there were several does in the driveway). When he spotted her, he dashed over and started nursing while mama stared at me suspiciously.

All together now: Awwww.

Then Darcy barked and broke up the tableau. The fawn went one direction, the doe in another.

About fifteen minutes later, reunited once more, the pair was back in the driveway. This time Darcy was inside, so I quietly stepped out on the deck and watched.

A random turkey joined them.

Pretty soon mama wandered down the driveway...

...while baby stayed behind.

Then, for whatever reason, the fawn slipped through the fence and waded into the tall grass, disappearing from view. Mama turned around, and her baby was gone.

She walked slowly back up the driveway, grunting very softly "Junior? Junior!"

Eventually she wandered toward the top of the driveway, leaped the fence, and went in search of her offspring.

...Thus proving that disappearing toddlers and frantic mothers are not solely an affliction of humans.