Blacktail Buck (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus)

In yesterday's post I promised we would look at ducks today but I had such a wonderful meeting with some young Blacktail bucks out at Esquimalt Lagoon yesterday I have postponed the duck post until tomorrow. I was in a deserted old orchard on the backside of the lagoon happily snapping away at either a Hairy or a Downy Woodpecker. (I haven't figured out which yet.) As usual when I am focused on photographing a bird I am pretty much unaware of anything else. So when I looked up from the camera viewfinder I was surprised to see this young buck strolling past. I just stood there and he took a good look at me then went on with his browsing, apparently deciding I wasn't a threat. A few minutes later another young buck joined him and they both nibbled the nearby greenery for about twenty minutes. These small deer are becoming so numerous around here and in some parts of the city that some people consider them pests. But whenever I see them like this I always feel like I've been given something.