Sunday, August 26, 2018
IBIS BLEACHING
As we head into the fall season the Ibis are spending more time out on the lawn bleaching their brown feathers white in the bright hot afternoon sun. It's a funny process they go through to lay out and bleach their feathers in the same UV that tans humans.
Saturday, August 25, 2018
First Baby Peafowl of 2018 - 8/24/2018
It's begun! The mother peahens are starting to bring their babies to the P2 buffet for seed and other snacks. Yesterday, 8/24/2018, we had the first sighting of a mother and baby wandering around the pole barn and starfruit tree area. It didn't take long before the pair came around to the front. You can see the baby on the left as a perfect scale model of the mom on the right, with the "ratty topknot" as clear giveaway that she's a baby. Awwww!
Mark had just been lamenting the lack of peafowl kids visiting us this year and there they were, one after another came to visit.
Finally we had a mother with three babies following her show up. When they're young peafowl all look like females. After a few more months the changes in color will begin and some of the young will transform into beautiful blue male peacocks.
 |
| Mom and three young peafowl, the young are perfect scale models with full size feet |
Young peafowl are really funny to watch, they don't know what they're doing but they are filled with attitude. Young pea kids run around in silly ways, like they're running from invisible ghosts. When they get older all that running around is chasing lizards and delicious bugs for food.
 |
| Notice how big their feet are, they are full size adult legs and feet |
Monday, August 20, 2018
REMEMBERING GUPPIE
We've had six little ducks and their mother living in the big pond at P2 since July 3rd. The littlest duck of the six became disabled on Saturday August 18th, I was shocked to see him mortally wounded when he came ashore to eat. He has always been small and had a weird strut but he stayed with his siblings and hung in there. Life in the wild is really hard. Guppie is 48 days old today.
When I first saw Guppie today he was visibly walking in a horrible deformed and torturous manner, it was heart breaking to see. It was as though the whole crew of brothers and sisters realized Guppie was not going to make it. As they left the corn feeding area they all paused by Guppie, as if to say goodbye to their little brother.
Sunday Guppie did not come to the feeding area, he pushed himself into some tall grass away from the other ducks. Mary and I contemplated any life saving strategies for Guppie but it was not to be, by 4 'o'clock a little motionless body laid lifeless by the pond. By morning his remains were gone, the dinner for some other wild animal that forages on third-shift.
Thankfully the five other young ducks in our brood are doing well. Today is Monday August 20th and there are 10 ducks hanging out together and schwim schwimming together. Our little family of ducks has been joined by several other ducks that "momma duck" approves of, she chased all the others away. For some reason she's letting the kids party with strangers today, perhaps part of the process of socialization.
I'll miss Guppie, I always cheer for the underdog, his beautiful spirit lives on in my memory.
Good luck next time little guy!
When I first saw Guppie today he was visibly walking in a horrible deformed and torturous manner, it was heart breaking to see. It was as though the whole crew of brothers and sisters realized Guppie was not going to make it. As they left the corn feeding area they all paused by Guppie, as if to say goodbye to their little brother.
Sunday Guppie did not come to the feeding area, he pushed himself into some tall grass away from the other ducks. Mary and I contemplated any life saving strategies for Guppie but it was not to be, by 4 'o'clock a little motionless body laid lifeless by the pond. By morning his remains were gone, the dinner for some other wild animal that forages on third-shift.
Thankfully the five other young ducks in our brood are doing well. Today is Monday August 20th and there are 10 ducks hanging out together and schwim schwimming together. Our little family of ducks has been joined by several other ducks that "momma duck" approves of, she chased all the others away. For some reason she's letting the kids party with strangers today, perhaps part of the process of socialization.
I'll miss Guppie, I always cheer for the underdog, his beautiful spirit lives on in my memory.
Good luck next time little guy!
Saturday, August 18, 2018
Sunday, August 12, 2018
Saturday, August 11, 2018
Paint by Number - began 8/11/2018
This paint by number acrylic painting "kit" is for fun and inspiration.
I love this review on Amazon... "Finished the painting....mine doesn't look ANYTHING like the example, but I like it anyway!"
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1K7LRQBSW6HEU/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B075B3NLD9
Starting today!
I love this review on Amazon... "Finished the painting....mine doesn't look ANYTHING like the example, but I like it anyway!"
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1K7LRQBSW6HEU/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B075B3NLD9
Starting today!
 |
| The canvas came rolled nicely - from China - with no instructions... I got the little easel and canvas backing from Michaels. |
 |
| Before ironing and mounting the canvas. |
 |
| Ready to start. |
 |
| Final version - in oils - by a professional artist! My results will certainly be dramatically different using acrylics and paint by number. Note the cute little ducks in the water and let's see how mine turn out... |
And here's why "paint by number" kits are helpful to beginner artists for learning painting skills.
Monday, August 6, 2018
Thursday, August 2, 2018
BABY HUEY THE GIANT BLUE HERON, JULY 5TH, 2018
HUEY (AKA MR. CLEANHEAD) LOVES OUR FLOATING POND PLATFORM
We made this platform by stuffing a pallet with swim noodles from the dollar store. Many animals have enjoyed floating on the platform but none have ridden it more than "Cleanhead" Huey the giant blue heron.
Huey rides the platform and fishes off the side. We have several giant herons that have visited but this one has a long white upper neck and head which earned him the blues moniker of "Cleanhead".
This heron is less scared of humans, he often rides the platform nearby while Mary feeds the panfish in the big pond. Huey adds a unique and wonderful personality to our pond (unless you're his fish dinner in which case he's a big meanie).
We made this platform by stuffing a pallet with swim noodles from the dollar store. Many animals have enjoyed floating on the platform but none have ridden it more than "Cleanhead" Huey the giant blue heron.
Huey rides the platform and fishes off the side. We have several giant herons that have visited but this one has a long white upper neck and head which earned him the blues moniker of "Cleanhead".
This heron is less scared of humans, he often rides the platform nearby while Mary feeds the panfish in the big pond. Huey adds a unique and wonderful personality to our pond (unless you're his fish dinner in which case he's a big meanie).
THE DUCK FAMILY, OUR FIRST
ON JULY 3RD A MOMMA DUCK BROUGHT HER SIX BABIES TO P2, THIS IS THEIR STORY
We could barely believe our eyes, a mother duck and six tiny baby ducks landed on our large pond and took up residence the day before the loudest noises of the year, the 4th of July. We wondered if the duck family would stay or move on as all the others have, they stayed.
July 5th, Duck Family photos
We could barely believe our eyes, a mother duck and six tiny baby ducks landed on our large pond and took up residence the day before the loudest noises of the year, the 4th of July. We wondered if the duck family would stay or move on as all the others have, they stayed.
July 5th, Duck Family photos
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)