Every Wedneday evening I drag the garbage cans up the driveway so they are ready for pick-up and emptying on Thursday. Some time after the garbage truck has come and gone, I go back up the driveway to bring the cans back to the house. This time, as I was doing so, I spotted a deer munching on some leaves from an Oak Tree - so I slowly backed off before he had seen me, and fetched my camera after first having put on my "Big Bertha" telelens - and slunk outside again behind the cover of some trees. At this time of year, if you spot one young deer, then there are sure to be more around in close proximity. How many could I photograph?

9225 This is the young doe I first spotted at the end of the driveway - still there after I got my camera!

9209 I carefully worked my way forward behind some trees to take a peek in the paddock where they sometimes like to graze - and was met by the curious gaze of an older mother

9177 Further into the paddock was this youngster

9184 On the other side of the driveway, three young males were chilling out together

9198 I peered further round the tree where I was hiding - a young doe was munching oak leaves right in front of me

9201 She detected my presence, but didn't seem too disturbed

9224 A second mature mother appeared from out of the bushes behind the paddock

9229 As I just bided my time, two of the males on the other side of the driveway came closer.

9238 The first mother I had seen just stayed relaxing in the grass, keeping an eye on her offspring - and me!

9244 Joined moments later by the other mother

9260 Meanwhile one of the youngest does was grazing ever closer to where I stood in the trees trying to look inconspicuous

9262 Another slightly older (but still young) doe was exploring along the back fence of the paddock

9275 Behind the back fence, a similalry aged doe was investigating the snack value of different bushes

9277 Low-hanging blossoms taste the best

9285 Meanwhile, the first mother seemed happy to let me come closer

9287 ...but eventually she moved off into the orchard and the rest of the gang eventually followed. It looks like she might be expecting another baby some time this spring - at which time the two-year olds in this group will move off on their own, and the one-year olds will graduate to become two-year olds.