Nature's Miracle Outside My Window

This is a view I had outside my kitchen window yesterday--a brand new fawn nuzzling its mother!

 

They shared many kisses while...

,,, a twin sibling fawn slept all curled up at the bottom of my backyard retaining wall!

Early in the morning of June 15th my husband and I were opening our window shades and were surprised to see this mule deer doe give birth to twin fawns!  They came out one at a time, all wet and dark and still covered with their amniotic sack.  The doe diligently licked each one clean from head to toe, and as she did the fawns' eyes opened and they began to move--it was a miracle to watch!

I took the YouTube video above of the doe giving birth to the second fawn. It was amazing to see!  After resting for a while and nursing the fawns she completely removed all traces of giving birth from our lawn.  One would never be able to tell what had just occurred. We kept very quiet and allowed her to stay as long as she wanted. 

By the late afternoon, the twins were walking well and even hopping and leaping at times!   If you'd like to see a short video of them at this stage you can watch it on my blog's Facebook page at Mille Fiori Favoriti on this link. 

It was an unusually warm day in Colorado and the doe kept moving the fawns into the shade to keep them cool.  She is a very attentive mother!

One important fact to know about all deer is that a few hours after birth, when the fawn can stand and walk, the doe will move it from the birth spot to a new hiding place. A fawn spends most of its first weeks of life bedded down alone. The doe stays away from her newborn except to nurse it periodically and to lead it to new bed sites.  The doe does this to protect it from predators.  If you come across a fawn that is all alone DO NOT PICK IT UP!  Most likely the mother is nearby and is taking care of it.  Sadly, many people think a fawn that is alone is abandoned and will bring the fawn to the police, or wildlife rescue, only to learn this fact.

It was a beautiful experience to see the twins being born and nurtured--a true miracle right outside my window!

I hope all fathers have had a very Happy Father's Day today! 

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The Butterfly Pavilion

One of the special places we like to visit with our grandchildren is the Butterfly Pavilion located at 6252 W. 104th Avenue Westminster,  Colorado.  

Information from their website states: 

"Butterfly Pavilion is the first stand-alone, Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited non-profit invertebrate zoo in the world and a leader in invertebrate knowledge, inspiration, and connection. Whether it is providing unique, hands-on learning experiences in our exhibits and educational programs, conducting new research that sets the standard for zoos across the country, or building innovative solutions for species and habitat conservation in countries around the world, Butterfly Pavilion is leading the way in ensuring invertebrates are protected for the future."

Located in a large greenhouse-type conservatory called the "Wings of the Tropics," visitors are surrounded by over 1,600 butterflies that hail from around the world. They are all flying free within the brightly lit climate-controlled environment which is kept at 80 degrees, making it the ideal climate for butterflies and the over 200 lush tropical plants and flowers that grow inside.

It is a photographer's dream to try to capture the beautiful colorful butterflies as they alight on the leaves and flowers!

My husband was wearing a yellow shirt and we discovered that the butterflies were very attracted to his shirt as they kept landing on him.

We also noticed that the butterflies appeared to enjoy sipping from the water-soaked sponges hanging from the trees. It gave us the idea to try this at our home as moisture can be hard to find for butterflies in our drought conditions.  

The many tropical flowers growing in the pavilion were also wonderful to see!

A fun part of a visit is being able to hold Rosie the Tarantula. As you can see from the collage above three of our grandchildren were brave enough to do so! Would you be as brave as they were?

The Butterfly Pavillion has exhibits about other invertebrates--as it is an invertebrate zoo. About 97 percent of all the animals in the entire world are invertebrates, animals without backbones. Some exciting news we learned is that a new 60,000 sq foot center (5,574 sq meters), which will be called the Butterfly Pavilion at the Center for Invertebrate Research and Conservation (CIRC), is being constructed in Broomfield, Colorado. It will become the Global Hub for Invertebrate Research, Conservation, and Education.  

 

The video above will explain more about the present Butterfly Pavillion and the future new Center for Invertebrate Research and Conservation.

We all had lots of fun at the Butterfly Pavillion and can't wait to visit again!

Even our ride home was beautiful as we could see some puffy clouds and snow-capped mountains in the distance as we passed by Standley Lake. The weather has turned warm here in Colorado--summer is on its way!

Have a wonderful week! 

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