Pania Gives Lessons
While the young peahens watched, Pania showed them how it was done. Interestingly I have never seen a peahen display her feathers for a peacock. They usually do this to scare off a cat or show off to each other.
I have no idea where Mr Flowers was but it was a regular meeting of the hens on the verandah. All discussing how to trap the poor fellow.
Luckily the girls don’t mind sharing. They remind me of transformers when they raise and lower their feathers. Every piece folding or opening quite precisely in the same order, to create a totally different shape.
Manu and Poppy are still fooling round. Though sometimes he is a little unsure of which part of the sow he should be breeding. Hopefully even with this hit and miss approach he might be able to get the job done. We will have to wait another 21 days though.
At least she was not running away from him yesterday.
Carlos IV the Dexter bull. Still in the wings. Hopefully he has a better sense of direction than Manu. But he will not be busy for a while yet.
Yesterday the sun was out long enough to melt the ice that kept some of the barn doors closed so I opened them all up. Then got out the hoses and filled all the cows troughs up the easy way. Then the hoses were all emptied (at both barns) and hung up to drain again so water does not freeze in them. The winds have swung back to the South which is making things much more pleasant. Our high was just below freezing point.
Today if it stays warm I am going to clean off that verandah. It looks frightful in those photos.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Love celi
52 Comments on “Pania Gives Lessons”
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Beautiful pictures of the pea hens! I never realized they had such lovely fans!
Lovely, aren’t they! Hope you are doing okay out there.. c
I suppose the feather display serves two purposes, in attraction and in making the birds look a lot bigger to scare of predators. Manu and Poppy look very sweet together 🙂
Manu and Poppy are quite the pair, hopefully they get it together – I would like to see what babies they produce.. c
Fingers crossed 🙂
Your verandah does NOT look frightful! It looks lived in, by beautiful peahens and perfect people. So there!
love,
ViV xox
I know – but I still feel better if my entrance looks a little less cluttered and filthy.. c
Pania looks so beautiful…I think that they must be one of the most beautiful birds in the world to have such fine plumage……Glad that things have warmed up a bit , ours is still -23 a bit nippy around the gills
MINUS 23 is that Fahrenheit? or Celsius. I think you would be celsius out there. c
Poor Manu, his performance issues are now public knowledge around the globe…. Still, Poppy doesn’t seem too bothered and they look contented together. It’ll happen in its own good time. Pania’s display is lovely! the markings on the front feathers makes them look soft and fluffy, ad the ones behind are smooth and glossy. You can almost hear the young ones muttering “I’ll never get my tail display that tidy” “I can’t quite work out how to raise the back feathers” “My bum hurts, can we stop now?”
Those dark ones create a frame.. beautiful. c
Maybe Manu and Poppy are into old fashioned romance! There is so much texture in Pania’s fan. I can see Kate working it into an amazing quilt, someday.
That would be a beautiful quilt!.. c
Food for thought…. I’ll think on it.
I had no idea the peahens had such beautiful tail feathers and that they showed them off. Hope they do it scare the poor guy away with all the attention, although he might love it, who knows. It is 41F here, in the Dordogne, and I find that cold, you are brave!
41 is not so bad, I think we are getting some 40’s here soon.. nice.. c
Gorgeous Pania … love the picture of the other peahen checking what it looks like behind 🙂 So pleased to read you escaped the nasty blizzards coming in East, hope this one dies down before it reaches you. Laura
Oh we are a long long way from the East Coast – no storms in the forecast so far.. c
It’s amazing to me the control an animal can exhibit over a temporary body part. To be able to command a feather to stand at attention is impressive. I’d like to be able to make my hair stand on end. I’m trying. I’ll let you know how it works out.
We all want to see that hair if it happens….pictures will be required. 🙂
If I can pull it off, pictures will be no problem. Autographs will be available for a minor fee.
Pania is gorgeous, and as Kate notes, the other ladies do seem a bit puzzled by the whole thing. Pull them aside Miss C, and let them know that we think they are perfect even if they never achieve perfection.
Morning Deb! c
I too never saw and heard before that pea hens show their feathers that way. Stunning.
Manu & Poppy – still in training. OK, he’s still young, needing exercises, no?
Love fluffy Carlos IV… makes me want to cuddle up…
No cuddling up with the bull Irmi!! c
Hehe…
Was she teaching a turkey also? I don’t think I have ever seen a hen display like that…. She is beautiful.
yes, both the turkeys and three cats were watching on.. c
She is a girl proud of herself and her abilities, from what I am reading on your blog you have taught her well.
Pania was one of a pair, my second peafowl.. and now the longest standing.. c
Good morning. A proud peahen. Beautiful. And it’s so nice when the ice releases that which you want free. Have a lovely day.
Yes – ice causes a lot of problems.. c
Good morning. Glad you were not part of that storm that hit the east coast yesterday. Sunshine makes for a much easier day! Have a good one Celi!
Yes – thank fully we are a long way from there – America has some cruel weather – c
And see? We have all learned something new again today on TheKitchenGarden blog! Who knew that peahens can be just as flashy with their tail feathers as the boy peas?? 🙂
Though when Mr Flowers finally spreads his tail we will be amazed, it is going to be long this year. c
We were supposed to have snow this morning, but so far nothing. Terry and I off to put the farm to bed. Here it is January and we are still putting the farm to bed. Then it will be time to fix fence and hopefully the COWS come!
Linda
Yes – I was wondering when your cows were coming.. c
Soon, in a couple of weeks. I can hardly wait!
I had no idea that pea hens could display just like the boys! Wow~every verandah deserves at least one peacock or peahen! Cheers!
I did not know pea hens displayed feathers! Beautiful photos! It’s windy today, and hopefully some of the 60 degree warmth we’re expecting will reach you. At 25 to 35 mph, I’m not sure it will make it that far north, darned it! 😀
I think it is going to get a bit warmer next week – this winter is wonderful – like a New Zealand winter.. c
Well, I just learned something new!! I had no idea what ‘peahens’ were, so I looked it up – and the name makes total sense… now that I know!! I also had no idea that female peacocks (peahens… as I now know they are called.. could also display their feathers. See – you taught me two new things! I found this – its about what peahens are REALLY looking at when a peacock displays!! I found it very interesting. http://www.wired.com/2013/07/peacock/ ++ Don’t worry about your veranda. That’s what the veranda of a working farm should look like. ; o )
Oef! Add me to the crew that had no idea pea hens could put on such a display! And a beautiful one at that. And I also agree with Irmi, that Carlos The IV is very cuddly looking. If your lady cows aren’t attracted then it has nothing to do with his good looks!
My thoughts this weekend are turned to those battling the storm excesses in the coastal areas and hope they can dig out without too much bad news. Seems it has been a nasty storm.
Hope you have a great day too, Miss C. ~ Mame 🙂
Love the colour of your front door…..
Stunning photos today. Looks like Hogs and Quiches going on out there between Manu and Poppy. So sweet. Beautiful display of feathers. Another blogging friend posted a photo of a peacock in her backyard that wanted to stay for coffee. Silly goose shooed it off. I would have set a place for him/her. 🙂 So glad the brunt of the last storm missed you. That looked like a bad one. We are 50 degrees here in Portland. Rains coming in again till tomorrow. I’ll take the rain. 🙂
John is out your way – visiting his son – he will be enjoying 50 degrees! c
Weather is pretty decent here right now. Some rain, some dry and not too cold. 🙂
Pania makes a stylish welcoming committee 🙂
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a peahen with her feathery array on display. Quite lovely! I certainly didn’t notice anything else on the verandah! Well, a ginger kitty…
Very smart looking peahens….not a great name as they sound incontinent:)
This is fascinating. Like the other commentators, I thought just the males did the display. What a cool post.