An Amorous Skink and A Doe with Fawn

My Nature Journal Summary

Date	June 05, 2022
Time	9:00 – 10:30am ET
Temperature (Fahrenheit / Celsius)	77°F / 25°C
Weather	Passing clouds
Wind	8mph ENE to WSW
Humidity	42%
Habitat	Nature trail around flood control lake. Mixed oak and pine forest & a power line cut.
Animals Encountered	White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) – doe and fawn Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) Common Whitetail Dragonfly (Plathemis lydia) Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica) Buckeye Butterfly (Junonia coenia)

06/05/2022 Now I Wonder Nature Journal Summary

My Nature Journal Photos

White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus

This White-tailed Deer surprised me this morning. I looked out over a wide marsh and up popped this distant head. The marsh was thickly vegetated and I was surprised that such a large animal could move through it. Plus, who knows how many other large mammals were lurking in the grass?

Distant head of a White-tailed Deer in a high grass meadow. White-tailed Deer doe and fawn. Photograph taken by the author. Copyright Now I Wonder. — This White tailed Deer popped its head up from deep within a grassy marsh which can clearly hide large mammals easily White tailed Deer doe and fawn Photograph taken by the author Copyright Now I Wonder

I continued my nature walk around the marsh and encountered this doe again. This time, she was very close to the path, munching on saplings that were growing along the trail. I thought she would bound away but she didn’t. She just stared at me through the leaves for a moment with her liquid brown eyes then turned and headed back into the tall grass.

White-tailed deer staring out from behind vegetation. White-tailed Deer doe and fawn. Photograph taken by the author. Copyright Now I Wonder. — A close encounter with a serene White tailed Deer doe Photograph taken by the author Copyright Now I Wonder

White-tailed Deer. White-tailed Deer doe and fawn. Photograph taken by the author. Copyright Now I Wonder. — And off she goes White tailed Deer doe and fawn Photograph taken by the author Copyright Now I Wonder

While this deer surprised me with her presence, she had one more surprise in store. It turns out that she had a little fawn hidden in the marsh grass. Through some inaudible signal, she called her fawn to her and both crossed the trail into the forest.

White-tailed Deer doe and fawn. Photograph taken by the author. Copyright Now I Wonder. — A quick glimpse of a pretty spotted White tailed Deer fawn trotting along behind her mother Photograph taken by the author Copyright Now I Wonder

I enjoy few things in nature more than fawns, so I was delighted to catch this glimpse. Fawns survive by staying still, silent, and hidden. I’m grateful that the doe decided to move on at just that moment.

Five-lined Skink Plestiodon fasciatus

Mature male Five-lined Skink in breeding coloration on a rock. Photograph taken by the author. Copyright Now I Wonder. — This male Five lined Skink may be trying to entice any female lizards in the area to visit him Photograph taken by the author Copyright Now I Wonder

This Five-lined Skink was sunning itself on some boulders near a creek crossed by the nature trail on which I hiked. Normally, this species of skink is extremely skittish. They vanish into the nearest crevice at the slightest disturbance.

But this individual seemed reluctant to move, despite being exposed to predators crouched as he was in the middle of a rock. Why? Although I was likely too far away to be considered a threat, I thought of a few possibilities that might have made this skink remain in place.

First, its body might not have been sufficiently warm yet. Environmental temperatures impact the body temperature of reptiles like this skink. Cool temperatures slow their reaction time, while warmth speeds them up. It might have been soaking up the heat from the sun and the rock and simply not up to the physical challenge of dashing to cover. This is probably unlikely since it was a fairly warm morning, especially out in the sun.

Second, he might have been posing for females and thus reluctant to lose such a prime, visible spot.

This particular Five-lined Skink was a mature male in breeding coloration. While young Five-lined Skinks are black with five tan lengthwise stripes, mature males change color. They lose most of their striping and their heads turn bright orange. This male lizard’s position out in the open might have been a deliberate attempt to wow any lady lizards in the vicinity. Sometimes in nature, sex trumps safety.

Common Whitetail Dragonfly Plathemis lydia

Common Whitetail Dragonfly insect Plathemis lydia. Photograph taken by the author. Copyright Now I Wonder. — An immature Common Whitetail Dragonfly insect Plathemis lydia enjoys a tasty meal Photograph taken by the author Copyright Now I Wonder

This dragonfly zoomed in and perched on a stem near the trail edge. His strong mandibles gnawed through the large insect held in his spiky forelegs. I couldn’t tell exactly what type of insect he caught, but it looked to be some kind of fly, possibly a deer or horse fly.

I sent a silent “thank you, dragonfly, for saving me from a nasty bite from one of those nasty flies” in his direction and went on my way.

It seemed only right.

Japanese Beetle Popillia japonica

Japanese Beetle on a chewed up leaf. Photograph taken by the author. Copyright Now I Wonder. — This Japanese Beetle is moving on to the beetle equivalent of greener pastures by crawling onto an uneaten leaf Photograph taken by the author Copyright Now I Wonder

Japanese Beetles were everywhere in the sunny meadow created by the power line cut. Some of the plants held more than eight beetles, all feeding voraciously. The insects had clearly been eating for some time, judging by the lacy appearance of the plants’ leaves.

Buckeye Butterfly Junonia coenia

This Common Buckeye butterfly was flitting around the white clover in the meadow along the nature trail. It’s wings were tattered and rough along the edges, so I suspect this was an older individual.

Butterfly wings are simultaneously tough and fragile. The membranes bear up well against the forces applied when the butterflies flay their wings, and also against winds and the elements. But the edges can get worn down through contact with vegetation or just plain wear and tear.

For the most part, butterflies manage just fine when the edges of their wings become tattered. They can still fly and maneuver. However, if they sustain severe or asymmetrical damage to their wings, they can’t fly as well and become easier prey for their many predators.

Christine

Christine is the creator and author of NowIWonder.com, a website dedicated to the animals and plants that share our world, and the science that helps us understand them. Inspired by lifelong exploration and learning, Christine loves to share her knowledge with others who want to connect with wild faces and wild spaces.

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An Amorous Skink and A Doe with Fawn – My Nature Journal

My Nature Journal Summary