Windy with a steady light rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low 63F. E winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..
Windy with a steady light rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low 63F. E winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.
Bob Fallon took this photo of a small herd of California Mule Deer along Old Town Road.
Bob was driving along Old Town Road recently when he happened to see these deer, and he stopped his car, and the deer moved up above this rocky outcropping to keep a watchful eye on Bob.
Located below the deer, though not visible in the photo, are a number of pa-haz, as they are known in the Nuwä (Kawaiisu or Southern Paiute) language, or bedrock mortars as they referred to in English. These grinding holes were created by Nuwä women for the purpose of milling acorns and other seeds and plant material.
These silhouetted deer plainly demonstrate the large ears for which they were given the common name Mule Deer. These deer can move their ears independently of each other, swiveling them like elongated satellite dishes to determine exactly where sounds are coming from. California Mule Deer depend on their triple senses of hearing, eyesight and smell to detect and identify potential threats.
Most small deer herds are essentially matriarchal family units of mostly related animals, with a dominant doe or two and her current offspring and possibly offspring from previous years. A female fawn may stay with her mother until maturity and beyond, when she starts bearing her own babies.
Male fawns typically get run off to prevent inbreeding, and may join a largely bachelor herd while they get older and stronger and look for the opportunity to challenge an older buck for the opportunity to mate with a doe and start their own small herd.
The Nuwä word for deer is tühui, pronounced tuh-HOO-ee.
NATURAL SIGHTINGS is a regular feature of the Tehachapi News edited by Jon Hammond which showcases photos of the natural beauty that enhances the quality of life in Tehachapi. If you have a good quality image of plants, animals, insects, trees, birds, weather phenomena, etc., taken in the Tehachapi area, you may submit it to the Tehachapi News for possible publication. Submissions can be dropped by the News office in the form of a print or CD, or sent by email to: editorial@tehachapinews.com.
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