… do they get a warm and fuzzy feeling like when we gawk at them?
From time to time I wonder about this – of course, I ponder these heady thoughts only in my mind, because to say it aloud on a nature trail may diminish my credibility a tad. 🙂
This Spring and Summer, on the days I was lucky enough to get to larger parks, especially Lake Erie Metropark, it’s been slim pickings for critter sightings, that is, unless you want to count the lovely Mayflies that swarmed around me on a visit to Lake Erie Metropark in mid-June – more about those creepy-looking creatures in a future post.
It’s a 30-mile round trip to Lake Erie Metropark, a nice little ride for the car and I’m always filled with hope that I’ll return home with a camera card full of furry and feathered critters to fill my blog – after all, it’s a paradise for nature lovers.
And then sometimes you are blessed with critters showing up where and when you least expect them.
On June 13th, the day I photographed the cute Chippie you see above, I was back at Fair Lane, visiting the Ford Estate and Clara’s Rose Garden, just two weeks after my previous visit. I hiked along the trail by Ford Lake, a route I’ve taken many times and never gotten lost … until that day. I was miserably hot, trudging through tall grass, with no structured trail in sight, embedded in a haven for this tick explosion we have here in Southeast Michigan. My vivid imagination made me think that all the ticks might gang up and say “go get her now!”
You’ll read about that adventure in a future post, but suffice it to say, afterward I was happy to be walking along Fair Lane Drive, the paved street that separates University of Michigan Dearborn and Fair Lane, a/k/a the Ford estate. My car was parked at Ford Field Park, 1½ miles away; happily there was no way to get lost now and I’d be in the shade for part of the trek.
Soon my journey was sidetracked bigtime!
I saw a chipmunk dash across Fair Lane Drive and take cover by a tree …
… I edged closer to this cute creature wondering “is this my Chippie from the Ford estate who bolts every time I try to take its picture?” Of course, all its hiding places are gone due to the restoration efforts.
While I appreciated the tree’s shade to cool off a little, I knew it would make the photo too dark and, as I edged ever closer, the Chippie didn’t move, but the poor light gave it some funky-looking eyes.
Finally, the Chippie scurried up the tree, peering down at me. His face registered unhappiness as if to say “lady, you’re invading my personal space!”
In the featured image, the Chippie is up close and personal – they really are tiny creatures as you see below. They are only 8 to 12 inches long, one third of that is their tail and they only weigh one to five ounces.
I took a half-dozen shots of this sweet critter before a young couple came along and looked up in the tree to see what piqued my interest. They both smiled when they saw the Chippie and whipped out their phones simultaneously, then showed me their respective photos.
Unbelievably, despite its demeanor, the Chippie didn’t scurry away, holding that same stink eye pose, while the three of us chatted about the weather, nature walks and my blog. Before we moved along, Hassan and Sultana bookmarked my blog on their phones and then we parted.
My critter encounters were not done!
It was straight-up noon and very hot by now as I resumed my trudge, er … trek to the car. Suddenly I saw movement between the trees, as two deer stepped into a small wooded area, having left the pavement at U of M’s campus. As you can see, the woods is not dense.
I am always hopeful to see deer and/or fawns at the big parks, so imagine my surprise to see this buck and a doe. They each stared at me long enough that I clicked off a series of shots.
The buck never took its eyes off me.
The woods didn’t offer much light, but you could see the velvety texture on its antlers.
The doe was likewise fascinated by this human who was alternately gawking and clicking away. I love those ears, a rosy pink and very alert and so in tune with me watching her. Isn’t she beautiful?
The doe moved to a shadier area, but continued to watch me very intently; hmm – did she resent me watching her main squeeze?
They lingered for the longest time, staring me down, so I guess I had a friendly face and didn’t pose a threat, or they would have bolted. Finally, the pair remembered why they went into the woods, likely for a bite to eat, so they left me standing there as they moseyed on.
As they nibbled on some leaves, I resumed my journey, starting on the Rouge Gateway Trail, enroute to the car.
I’m willing to bet that every time I visit this venue going forward, my head will swivel to check out that woodsy area, but I will never see deer there again. I was on the Rouge Gateway Trail several years ago when five young deer crossed the path ahead, appearing out of nowhere – too bad my body was turned to the right looking for wild turkeys. An encounter like that has never happened again.
I am joining Terri’s Sunday Stills Challenge: Animal or Bird of the Month and Pepper’s Hiking Challenge One Step at a Time.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
that closing painting is really good – and nice to see Chippie and the deer – enjoyed your photos and post
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Thank you Yvette – I’m glad you liked this post. It was fun to just stumble upon these little critters, both a little out of their element. That woods is right next to U of M, so it’s not really a nature setting. The Chipmunk was so cute and the little rendezvous with the deer was fun as they didn’t bolt as usual. Since it has been so hot I’ve not been walking, so I have been painting a few pictures to accompany some of my posts that will roll out over the next few months.
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the paintings are awesome
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Thank you Yvette – I am following another watercolor artist’s videos for a little more variety … I have been having fun drawing and painting again – it is filling the void during this awful Summer weather we’ve been having.
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;0)
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Great closeup of the Chippie staring at you! We have a family of them living under our back deck and they drive Zoey nuts. 😆 How lucky to come across the doe and the buck. You never know, they might come back some time. Love the chipmunk sketch! 👌
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Thanks Debbie! I was surprised that Chippie stayed in place so long, but I guess it felt safe up in the tree, especially when it had three people staring up at it. I think Chippies are very cute, but they move so quickly, it is rare I get a shot of them. We don’t have them around the neighborhood and I generally only see a Chippie when I go to Fair Lane. The doe and buck were just the icing on the cake that day. Like the Chippie, they were content to just gawk at me until they finally moved on slowly. Glad you like the artwork too!
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Love the watercolor of the chippie. They are fun and quick critters. We get them on the deck looking for sunflower seeds. Sometimes they will crawl up on the feeder. Love the pics.
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Thank you Kate! It was a great ending to a long, hot walk. I wish we had Chippies around here but we don’t, so I only see them at the Fair Lane estate, if I’m lucky. The deer sighting was such a treat – that’s a first for me and they were so calm. I hated to move a muscle in case they took off. During the first heat wave, I was doing some paintings to use in posts over the next several months.
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Great sightings! That’s one nervy chipmunk! And I’m always fascinated by sightings of multiple deer at the same time. I wish I had been able to photograph several months ago when I came upon 4 young deer in the road during my pre-dawn drive to work. Fortunately, they scattered from the pavement!
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JP, that chipmunk, for its tiny size, was enjoying having the upper hand and glaring down at the three of us. It was funny to watch it and I’m glad I got those photos. That would be a lovely sight for your pre-dawn drive to work. I was fascinated by this doe and buck and how they just kept staring and staring, yet not bolting, which is what they usually do. Who knew humans were that fascinating?
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Such wonderful captures, Linda. Your painting is amazing. I am so impressed. 👏
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Thank you Pepper! It was such an awesome reward after a long walk, plus getting lost in the woods and the weeds. This is one of the nine paintings I did last month to use in upcoming posts.
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You are amazing! 😉
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Thank you! I did decide not to use a couple of them in my posts though. I wasn’t crazy about how they turned out … hopefully I can practice more over the Winter months!
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Winter is a great time for that. 😊
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Yes, that’s for sure Pepper.
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It’s inevitable. I always see great shots when I don’t have my camera, or I have the wrong lens for the shot. Chipmunks are hard to capture, they don’t sit still for long! So are deer, they like to sit in the shadows. I had a buck here for a moment a couple weeks ago. I hardly ever see them around here. And the neighbor says we have wild turkey and their babies right now. They haven’t been to my house yet but I bet they will be soon. Love your images and your painting!
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Thanks Dawn! This was a real treat to see the Chippie and deer after such a long walk (and getting lost). I know there are deer at Lake Erie Metropark, but I seldom see them, maybe embedded in the brush or trees, but not this close. So this sure was so unexpected right on UM-Dearborn’s campus. We don’t have Chippies around here, just a few squirrels and a nasty Cooper’s Hawk that sits in the tree across the street. The wild turkeys will be a fun capture for you strutting across your yard. Back in June I did a slew of paintings to roll out in upcoming posts.
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Until you said “stink eye” I was going to question your description of “cute little Chippie”. That first photo has intention written all over it! I know he’s small but his expression suggests he’s not looking for friends. Also, the first photo of the buck caught me off guard. It’s an optical illusion, as if you caught him straddling the log 🙂
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Dave, this little Chippie was giving all three of us the business, feeling pretty powerful from his perch on that tree branch. You couldn’t help but smile. I wish we had Chippies around here – I only see them at Fair Lane. I went back and looked at that buck – yes, you’re right, it does look like it jumped the log and was straddling it. I could not believe that these two deer continued to gaze at me and never bolted. We were not that far from one another, so they were seemingly as fascinated with me as I was with them. 🙂
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Gorgeous watercolor of the chipmunk, Linda! The pics of it staring you down are precious. Sounds like a lovely walk, if hot. Deer do the same thing here, stare, then “eh, let’s eat.”
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Thanks Terri! I did several paintings back in June to use with posts of pics I’ve taken on some walks so far. I will be using them over the next few months. That Chippie was feeling pretty bold up there on the tree branch while gazing down at us. The deer were such an unexpected treat after that long, hot walk, especially after I got lost in the weeds and woods. The deer never stopped staring at me and as you said, they finally got bored and trotted off to nibble on leaves.
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I admire your painting skills, keep ’em coming!
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Thank you Terri! I did the rest of them in ink-and-wash, so they are more whimsical. 🙂
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Miss Linda………………………………………….I love the close pictures of the two deer and your very sweet painting……………………………………
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Thank you Ann Marie – I was so surprised to see the two deer walking from U-M Dearborn’s campus and into this little wooded area. They seemed fascinated with me, like I was with them, so I just kept on clicking my camera. 🙂 I’m glad you liked the painting. I will have more paintings coming up in the next few months. At least this not-so-great Summer weather is good for painting.
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What a fun post!!
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Thanks Anne! It was a fun and unexpected encounter with all three of these critters – clearly they were fascinated with humans too!
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First of all, Wow!!! Your watercolor of the chipmunk is wonderful! You have been honing your talent.
The photos of chippies are cute, but those critters have overrun my back yard. They dig holes everywhere! Ugh! I could do with fewer chipmunks around. 🙂
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Thank you Laurie! I have had more time to draw and paint and also read than I have had in a very long time thanks to these heat waves and lousy weather in general. I’m glad you liked my chippie. I have been doing a lot of ink-and-wash paintings, which are looser drawing and painting in a more whimsical fashion. They were fun to do as well. I am going to include one or two a month in future posts.
I have never seen chipmunks in this neighborhood – ever. Here I was wishing we had some here, as they seem so cute, but maybe I don’t want them if they dig. I have squirrels digging holes in the mulch and burying things, or trying to retrieve those things, so I regret having the mulch sometimes. It’s a case of be careful what you wish for!
Are you and Bill running every day in this heat and smoky atmosphere?
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Love the painting Linda!
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Thank you Wayne! Did you, the wildlife photographer, like my Chippie and Deer couple too?
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I did like them
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Okay, thank you. I wondered as you usually comment on the animals, but I’m glad you liked the painting too!
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Wow Linda….love the painting! Such detail and texture! You are an artist girl! Perfect for your picture book. I had no idea chipmunks were that small – I’ve never seen them…not even sure if we have them here, at least not in the populated areas. And the deer – they were so very cooperative in standing there so long and letting you take their pictures. I will try to reply to your emails tomorrow – I’ve been out the past few days, taking advantage of the smoke-free air while it lasts.
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Thank you Joni! I actually drew/painted two deer to go along with this post, but for those deer I did not use a video tutorial, just a book I bought a while ago on how to draw (using charcoal pencil) woodland animals and I really didn’t like how they turned out, so I didn’t include them. I did two chipmunks, but the other one looked evil for some reason, so I left it out too The rest of the paintings I did that week I have kept and will have them in upcoming posts. The paintings will coorelate to the photos in the posts. Chipmunks are very cute, but they are fast and scamper off once they see you. We don’t have them around this neighborhood and I only have seen them at Fair Lane estate. The deer were just beautiful and stood and stared at me non-stop, so I had time to take lots of photos – these were my favorites as they never moved more than about five feet the entire time I was there. I still owe you an e-mail as well. We had our last day of smoky haze and it’s cooler tomorrow, but we just had a torrential downpour for 10-15 minutes or so, which will muddy up the trails. Like you, we have a few days’ reprieve from all weather conditions we have been dealing with.
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Oh I love your chipmunk painting, Linda!
Your opening question is a good one. I think I should ponder it more when I walk up on the critters in my yard. What must they think of me?
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Thank you Eilene! I took a week to create some paintings to go with photos in some upcoming posts. The chipmunk was different for me as it involved a lot of blending. The real chipmunk was so cute, such a brave soul up on the branch staring at me. Moments later, those two deer seemed fixated, never taking their eyes off me, just as I was while watching them. Was I a novelty to them? So, I got the idea for this post walking to the car. If you see the same critters in your yard, they probably have accepted you, know you won’t harm them, so they do stare at you!
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Lovely photos of the chipmunks and deer and so much detail in the chipmunk you painted. You captured it beautifully.
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Thank you Rebecca! I was so lucky see the chipmunk and deer, one right after the other and I’ll bet that never happens again. We spent a lot of time gazing at one another. I’m glad you like the chipmunk painting too. We have had so much hot weather that I stayed inside and painted several paintings to go with some photos I’d taken in June. I painted a second chipmunk, but he had an evil look to him and I also painted two deer to go with this post, but I didn’t like them, so I left them out. I am having fun painting, but enjoy taking pictures more. We had a perfect temperature day today, no humidity and no wildfire smoke, so I went to three parks today and wore myself out.
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Your painting is amazing! We have a lot of chipmunks, but they move too quickly for me to get a photo. Maybe one day, one will pose for me.
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Thank you Linda! I have been painting during out hot spell, a few paintings to go along with some upcoming posts in the next few months. I wish we had chipmunks around here. This is the only place I see them and they do move very quickly. I guess it was scared and that’s why it stayed put. It surprised me it stayed in place so long.
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Fantastic photos! You’re a fantastic artist, look at the details… wonderful.
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Thank you Monica! I have been painting a lot this Summer when it was so hot. Some I am happy with, some not so much. 🙂
Did you hear about Jackie and Shadow? I know you and I were discussing watching them in their nest with their eaglets. Jackie was gone from the nest for a while and on the web cams they noticed Shadow was taking care of the eaglets himself. So Jackie was rescued in the water and believed to have been in a fight with other eagles. She is being rehabbed now, but not in a rehab center familiar with eagles unfortunately.
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Yes, I heard about that. I think she was trying to keep “other” young eagles from the nest? What a shame. They must all be in turmoil. Shadow wondering where she is as well as the kids. They said Jackie was angry and fighting. OF COURSE, she wants to get back to the nest. They said she was weak and really eating. Thanks for sharing. I think we ALL hope, she gets back to the next quickly.
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Yes, it would be bad enough at any time of the year, but now, with young offspring especially. I hope Jackie recovers fully and makes it back to the nest. You’re right – we ALL are watching for her return.
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Love this painting, you are so good, I love the tail 🙂 great photos as well. I have not seen a chipmunk in a long time. 🙂
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Thank you Sandra! During that first bout of hot weather, I decided to paint some pictures of critters I saw up to that point (not many sadly). I did another chipmunk but it looked evil, so I didn’t use it. I’ve done some sailboats and a chicken too. 🙂 I think chipmunks are so cute, but this is the only place I have seen them – they are not in this neighborhood, nor at the Park. Today at Lake Erie Metropark I saw a mink. I saw one in the Winter, but it was far away. This one bolted as soon as it saw me, so I didn’t get much of a shot. I also saw a deer in the marsh and two new-to-me butterflies, so it was a good day. I have pushed myself these last three days to get out and get photos before this weekend, when the heat returns, two days of storms and heat and smoke return next week.
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it’s such a joy to encounter the locals on a walk….these are simply beautiful.
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Thank you Cath! It made my day seeing both of them and it’s so funny since I go out of my way to go to parks where I’d see deer and come home without seeing one and these were right in plain sight. 🙂
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How wonderful, I’m pleased for your encounter 😊
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I was as well Cath. You never know what you will encounter on a walk!
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