BARN BIRDS

Mr Flowers had been obviously depressed these last two days. He had lost Pania.  

Peafowl do not mate for life or anything like that.  The males have harems actually. But generally, they are solitary kinds of birds.  For the two days that Pania and Mr Flowers were separated. And he was lost. First I noticed Mr Flowers laying on the floor of the barn next to Wai’s blue fishbowl house. There was no patch of sun so I was confused.  I thought maybe the cold was getting to him. You will remember that we lost the Duke of Kupa in that bad winter of 2014.

I  brought him some extra food and immediately he leapt up and started eating it so I relaxed.  If they eat, they are good. But I realised that his wife was not in the big barn which is unusual in this weather.  I looked about for Pania and found her a while later roosting way up high above the cows in the Rathouse. Peafowl do not like snow and she must have been marooned here in that last snow storm.  So I threw more food on top of the cars in there for her to eat.  And left them to sort it out.

Poor old Mr Flowers. He sat in the barn, staring at the door for two days before yesterday she worked out she could FLY and flew over the snow and back to the big barn. Pea-brain.

These guinea fowl  (below) are almost ten years old. We raised a flock of them before I even began buying cows. Most disappeared in the first years.  They range far into the fields in the season.

Do you see how the guinea fowl at the top has no feet? He lost them in the winter of 2014. Yet he has outlasted his hale and healthy flock mates.  Guinea fowl are actually related to peafowl and also have a life span of 10 – 15 years. These birds have been free to roam all their lives. They have never been coddled. As natives of Africa it surprises me how well they do in our cold.

And I think this winter has been colder than most. 

Wai does not mind the cold – he tiptoes across to the house every morning for his apple. He stands at the bottom of the steps and squeals until he gets his treat, then wanders off happy.  His legs are so short. He does make me smile this good boy.

I hope you have a lovely day.

Love celi

WEATHER: More snow. In fact, there is snow forecast for the next three days.

Thursday 02/08 70% / < 1 in
Snow showers early with a chance of lingering snow showers later. High 23F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 70%.

Thursday Night 02/08 70% / 1-3 in
Occasional snow showers. Low 21F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 70%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches.

Sun
6:55 am 5:18 pm

Moon
Last Quarter, 42% visible 1:13 am 11:44 am