jmgoyder

wings and things

Feb 16

Back to birding

by jmgoyder

Well, what an anti-climax my home-coming was this afternoon! I went straight to the bird yards to let the gang out thinking that they would greet me with expressions of relief and joy but, once I’d given them some lettuce, they lost interest in me and, within a minute of our reunion, they were off doing their usual thing – grazing, bathing, preening, cruising.

Both the ‘Bubbles’ were indifferent, the big Bubble particularly so. After they got their share of the lettuce, they just sauntered away. Baby Turkey didn’t even acknowledge me.

And the geese were even more indifferent to my renewed presence.

Even the peacocks had a definite air of ‘so what!’ about them when they saw me.

I feel a little indignant at their nonchalance; Godfrey didn’t even try to bite me and I’d been looking forward to our usual afternoon wrestling match.

What a bunch of bird brains!

Wings

11 Comments »
Feb 8

Duck dancing

by jmgoyder

Tapper, one of our two Muscovy ducks, has two perfectly good legs but, for some reason, he often prefers to tuck one leg up and stand on the other one. He then does a pirouetty move and, eventually, sticks the tucked-up leg straight out backwards, at a right-angle to his body, to perfectly to align it with his tail feathers. In the photo below you can just see his one ‘foot’ tucked up.

Tapper can do this ‘duck dance’ for ages and ages. His balance is incredible and, when he does this, he doesn’t seem like the Tapper who usually waddles around quite clumsily. Weird! Here he is with that left foot tucked right into his wings.

Whilst Tapper was doing yet another one of his dances the other afternoon, I stood opposite him and tried to stand on one foot for as long as he could. I was pretty good, but, when it came to the pirouette, I kind of fell over. Well actually I did fall over. Yeah, but at least I don’t waddle!

Duck dancing is for the birds……

Wings

14 Comments »
Feb 4

Proximity cures phobia!

by jmgoyder

Yesterday, my niece, Ashtyn and her extremely bird-phobic mother, Julie, visited. Julie has suffered bird phobia ever since being given a rather wild weiro a couple of decades ago, so this visit took enormous courage! Ashtyn is a little nervous of birds too as you can see below!

But Julie was in a state of suppressed horror. As she has read my blog, she was particularly frightened of Godfrey who was just outside the frame of the picture below. Little did she realise that the evil Baby Turkey was even closer.

Eventually, she began to feel more at home with the birds. In the photo below you can see her biting her lip with determination not to scream!

And Ashtyn’s expression says it all!

For some reason, neither Julie or Ashtyn wanted to come into the emu yard. I’m not quite sure why….

Julie insisted on some soothing music so Son and Grandma obliged.

The unflappable Alpacas, Okami and Uluru, also had a soothing effect on Julie.

It was a visit full of hysterical laughter!

Wings

10 Comments »
Jan 29

Enjoying the view

by jmgoyder

 On the left is Guinnea (one of our many Guinnea fowl, all named ‘Guinnea’ for the sake of convenience), and on the right is Tapper (one of our two Muscovy ducks). Now, usually these two breeds don’t associate with each other. There’s no animosity; it’s more a matter of not having anything in common.

So I thought it was quite sweet last night to see them perched together on top of one of the yards, sharing the view of the back paddock, with the sunset nuzzling a few clouds away, a gentle breeze whispering its way through the grass, a lullaby of raindrops … WAIT A MINUTE!!!

The back paddock is where that rotten fox lurks. That’s what they’re watching. They must’ve seen him/her. And, because Guinnea and Tapper have the advantage over some of the gang in the sense that they can fly, I now realise that this is actually a photo of sentry duty and has nothing whatsoever to do with a view!

Wings

8 Comments »
Jan 13

Where is Zaruma?

by jmgoyder

Peacock 1: Have you guys seen Zaruma? I’m worried about him.

Peahen 1: Who’s Zaruma?

Peacock 2: You know – that duck that Godfrey loathes.

Peahen 2: Oh, the ugly one?

Peacock 1: Come on – he can’t help his looks.

Peahen 1: Last I saw he was still trying to hang out with the gang.                                     

Peacock 3: Can he fly? Maybe he’s in a tree.

Gang: We’re not supposed to have anything to do with you, Zaruma – go away before Godfrey sees you here.

Zaruma: What if I promise never to poop in the pond again?

Gang: Take it up with Godfrey. Now get lost!

Zaruma: I wish I could be a kid again. It was so much easier.

Peahen 1: I found him! Come on darling, come on Zaruma. Don’t you worry about that big bad gander; we’ll look after you schnookums.

Wings

4 Comments »
Jan 12

The waterbabies!

by jmgoyder

Emu 1: So this is her idea of a pond is it?

Emu 2: Stop complaining – apparently we need to talk to that Godfrey guy, you know, the big gander. Oh, this chopped cabbage is like heaven; she really does that well.

Pearl: Mr God, sir, those emus want to talk to you.

Godfrey: What now? Can’t you see I’m busy? This water is filthy!

Seli: Sorry, sir, but I think they want to form a working party to sort out the pond situation.

Godfrey: This is getting ridiculous. Since when do emus like to swim? Woody, go and tell them that they may use the kiddy pool for the time being, but no splashing, no pooping and one at a time only.

Woodroffe: Yes sir.

Godfrey: Stop swanning about, gang! This is serious.

Emu 1 to other emus: C’mon, Emerys – this is lovely!


Emu 2: The Godfather said only one at a time.

Emu 1: Okay, just give me a moment. Oh, wow!

Godfrey (honking from a slight distance): Tomorrow’s meeting will commence at 6am sharp. We will form a working party consisting of three geese, one duck, one turkey and one – I repeat, one – emu. In the meantime the emus may continue to use the kiddy pool but not the pond. Agenda items:

  • bigger ponds
  • more ponds
  • cleaner ponds
  • separate ponds for different species

Phoenix 2: Have you guys heard about this meeting?

Peacock: Don’t worry about it, Goldilocks, it’s just a poultry thing.

Phoenix 2: Oh.

Whitey: You know little Tapper, the duck? He told me that the Godfather wants to have regular meetings from now on. Can you believe it?

Phoenix 2: But why?

Whitey: Well, Tapper thinks it might be all Zaruma’s fault because he keeps secretly pooping in the pond.

Bubble: Godfrey said he only wants one turkey in the working party, so do you want to do it? It would be a good experience for you.

New turkey: I would be honoured.

Bubble: Good boy.

New turkey: I’ve only been here a little while but I really love it.

Bubble: Mmmm.

New turkey: There’s never a dull moment!

Pearl: Woody, would you mind representing me at the meeting today? I have a headache.

Woodroffe: Of course, Pearly, you’re my favourite sister in the world.

Pearl: You do have Diamond.

Woodroffe: Diamond’s a boy – remember? So she’s my brother.

Pearl: Oh, my head is pounding.

Ola: Woody, where’s the meeting?

Woodroffe: The greenhouse.

Ola: Is the woman coming?

Woodroffe: Hell, no – Godfrey would never allow that!

Ola: Well, I think she should be involved.

Woodroffe: I agree but I’m not going to bring it up.

Ola: In that case, I will. I adore her.

Woodroffe: I do too, but please don’t tell Godfrey.

Zaruma: Will you guys shut up. Let’s get this over with.

Ola (whispering to Woody): Little does Zaruma know he’s in big trouble.

Woodroffe: Well it’s his fault for pooping in the pond all the time.

Emu 1: So much fuss about nothing!

Emu 2: I dare you to get into the kiddy pool while they’re in the meeting.

Emu 1: You are on!

Emu 2: No, no – I was just joking. It’s too risky!

Emu 1: I’ll show you how I dunk my head in the water – it’s amazing!

Wings

6 Comments »
Jan 11

Down the rabbit hole

by jmgoyder

Yesterday, in the early evening after all the birds were safely in their yards, I decided to take some photos of the rabbits. Oh yes, haven’t I mentioned them before? We have hundreds of rabbits – well, perhaps not quite hundreds, but lots and lots – so many, in fact, that a friend from Perth asked if I was breeding them. No, I am not breeding them; they are doing that extraordinarily well all by themselves.

In other words, we have a rabbit plague.

They are everywhere! At any time of the day or evening, I can look through any window, or go outside, and I will see not just one or two rabbits, but entire families scampering around, here there and everywhere, in amongst the peacocks and guinneas and geese and ducks and chickens and turkeys. The scene resembles something rather heavenly except it is not heavenly because those rabbits are digging up the foundations of every building on the farm – that is five sheds and this house! I keep expecting the house to suddenly tip over. After all, it’s a very old house.

So last evening I sat outside, camera ready and waited. And waited. And waited. And I didn’t see one rabbit – not even a bunny! It was as if, like Alice in Wonderland, I had fallen down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world – this one devoid of rabbits. I wish.

Anyway, I thought I better take a picture of something, so I took one of the feathers on the lawn. In a previous post I mentioned that, with all the birds molting, it looks a bit like it has been snowing. Then I took a picture of King peacock’s final feather. As I said in another previous post he’s been hanging onto that last symbol of his former glory for ages. Now, having shed that final tail feather he will have to wait several months for them to all grow back. Poor guy seems a bit lost now.

I was still waiting for a rabbit or two to appear so I took another couple of photos of feathers that had blown into a blossom tree. I say a blossom tree because I’ve forgotten what kind of tree this is and Husband isn’t here to enlighten me (I’m ashamed to say that after nearly 20 years of marriage and living here, I still don’t know what many of these trees and flowers are!)

Actually, I’m not comfortable with the little white lie I just told about the feathers in the tree. They were in the tree earlier in the day but had blown onto the ground again, so I put them back in the tree to take the photos. Is that false photography? Interesting concept!

I am not, however, white-lying about the rabbits. The weird thing is that I haven’t seen any today either, so far.

Perhaps I’ve magicked them away somehow. On the other hand, the house does feel a little tilted today!

Or maybe I’m just stuck inside a ‘Julie in Wonderland’ rabbit hole.

When I go in to see Husband today, I will ask him what the blossom tree is called. He will know.

Animal Uncategorized Wings

12 Comments »
Jan 5

Happy 18th birthday!

by jmgoyder

Duckling: What’s going on?

Turkey chick: It’s the kid’s 18th birthday.

Duckling: So?

Turkey chick: Yeah, these humans are very strange. When my dad turned 18 he was magnificent. The kid doesn’t even have his feathers yet. He has to put fake ones on.

Duckling: On his head you mean?

Turkey chick: Yeah, those, and when he puts them on he can’t balance properly so his buddies have to hold him up.

Duckling: So where’s the old chap?

Turkey chick: He’s not very well so the woman and the kid had to take him to hospital.

Duckling: I miss snoozing near his socks.

Turkey chick: So do I! Actually I miss nibbling those socks too.

Duckling: So what will they do for the kid’s birthday?

Turkey chick: I heard the woman say that they’ll pick up the old chap and go to a restaurant.

Duckling: What’s a restaurant?

Turkey chick: It’s a place where humans eat roast duck and turkey.

Duckling: I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but your jokes are awful. They’re not even funny.

Turkey chick: Shut up – here he comes!

Duckling: Why does he like cuddling you and not me?

Turkey chick: He has good taste? You’re harder to pick up because of your big feet? I’m cuter? Probably a number of reasons.

Uncategorized Wings

18 Comments »
Dec 25

Not for Christmas lunch!

by jmgoyder

Ever since we began accumulating birds, specifically poultry, friends and family have joked about us having a very handy source of food. Recently, one friend even had the affrontery to suggest that they would all be suitable for Christmas lunch, so I had to become rather stern with her.

“None of these birds are food,” I said, picking Zaruma (a duck) up and stroking his substantial chest. We were sitting opposite each other, outside at one of the picnic tables. “They’re our friends.”

As if to confirm this, one of the Bubbles (a turkey) flew up onto the table and nuzzled me.

“Oh,” she said, “I just thought with so many….”

I noticed that Godfrey (a gander) was approaching her from behind, poised to bite her bum. After all she was sitting where I usually sit and that’s where he sometimes catches me off guard.

I couldn’t help thinking how a little nip from Godfrey might teach my friend a lesson, after her tactless remark. She didn’t hear his warning hiss because we were surrounded by chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and peacocks, all squawking and squabbling for bread, lettuce, cabbage and my attention.

“Anyway,” I said to her pointedly, as Godfrey got closer. “They’re all such gentle creatures.” And, whammo, right on cue, Godfrey lunged in and bit her on her subtantial posterior. Well, she leapt up with a shriek of horror, whirled around then shrieked even louder to see Godfrey’s hissing, angry face.

“Why didn’t you warn me?” she yelled, backing away from Godfrey, terrified.

“My goodness, I didn’t see that coming!” I said, feigning innocence. I was trying really hard to keep a straight face but I just couldn’t and broke into laughter. “I guess it’s just that he doesn’t particularly like hearing about the idea of being eaten.”

Unfortunately, my friend and I are no longer quite as close as we used to be.

Wings

8 Comments »
Dec 23

Do birds smile?

by jmgoyder

Do birds have facial expressions? I’m not sure, although many bird photographers (some of whom are my favourite bloggers), capture pictures of birds looking scared or angry or surprised – even happy – but I think might be skilled photography, not the bird actually shifting its features around to express any emotion.

Again, I’m not sure.

For me, it’s this lack of facial expression that makes it difficult to ‘read’ birds. Here are some examples:

Godfrey (the gander who likes to bite me) has the same arrogant expression on his face, regardless of whether he is defending his ‘brood’, tripping over his big feet or chasing me.

The Bubbles (our turkeys) have permanently ferocious expressions even when they are giving me their equivalent of a hug, which is sort of like wing-in-your-face+beak-in-your-neck gesture.

Zaruma and Tapper (the Muscovy ducks) always look innocent and befuddled, despite their canniness.

All of the geese look sweet and needy, even when they are fighting over food.

The emus look inquisitive and intellectual, even though one of them can’t tell the difference between a camera and a cabbage.

King and the rest of the peacocks always look a tiny bit disgruntled even though they are obviously ecstatically happy here.

Okay, so many of these bird expressions seem to contradict the reality of the situation, and I have started to take a better ‘look’ at their eyes because I think this may be the key to ‘reading’ them better.

Husband’s Parkinson’s has affected the muscles in his face, so much so that he is unable to smile properly, even when he’s happy, like now – happy to be home. I never realised, until today, how much, how much, how much I miss his huge, boisterous smile.

But the birds have taught me this: smiling isn’t everything!

Wings

8 Comments »
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