A Corrimal woman has described how feral deer press their noses against her bedroom window, and as the animals continue their march across the breadth of the Illawarra, beachside suburbs are reporting more sightings.
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Bellambi Lagoon is the latest site where residents have been startled to see the animals, given they would have had to cross both the Princes Hwy and Memorial Drive, and travel through kilometres of residential area.
Woonona mum Hazel Nisbet said she thought the deer travelled down creeks from the escarpment to Bellambi Lagoon, where she saw a skittish male on a recent walk.
"I often go to Bellambi Lagoon because I like to do a bit of birdwatching and I'm interested in native plant species," she said.
"I was really shocked when I looked in and I was keeping very still. There were lots of bikes and people going past. It stood really motionless. It was only about 5m away. I got my camera out, quietly and slowly.
"When I tried to get a bit closer it rushed off and caused a bit of noise."
Several residents also posted on social media about recent sightings, including a deer in the grounds of the Bulli Anglican church.
Corrimal resident Monique Latini told of how she and her husband woke up in the morning to find deer had been pressing their noses up against their bedroom window.
"When I used to live in Russell Vale, near the mine, they used to walk up and down the street all the time," she said. "But now, in Whiting Cres, they're in our garden all the time. Our lavender bush used to be big and bushy but they seem to munch on that in the night.
"We've even had the nose prints on our bedroom window, which faces the front. You can actually see the nose print in the morning.
We've even had the nose prints on our bedroom window. You can actually see the nose print in the morning
- Monique Latini
"My husband's a truck driver so one day he's going to get a shock - there'll be on there looking at him on the front lawn."
But unlike many people, Ms Latini doesn't want to see the deer culled.
"They don't bother us, we don't want them culled at all," she said.
"They don't do any harm ... they don't leave droppings in our yard. They just like the lavender."