Monday, March 19, 2007

New Chicks


The "other orange hen" diligently sat her nest and hatched out 11 lovely yellow chicks! They are 4 days old. Today's the first day I've let them all out of the crate loose in the kennel. Everyone had a great time. Mom flies against the side of the kennel screaming whenever the dogs walk by. The dogs, of course, think this is a lot of fun *sigh*. It will be interesting to see what colors the chicks turn out to be. I bought the hens from a local farmer - no specific breed. They joined my Leghorn and Old English Game Fowl roosters. We'll see!

Friday, March 16, 2007

Birds!

The birds are returning - a sure sign of spring. I saw a mature Bald Eagle flying overhead here, and the next morning one was on a collision course with a field mouse the other side of the freeway near Olympia - flew directly overhead. They are so very large.

Smaller birds line the trees and sing their hearts out. The song sparrow who lives near my bird building has returned and is serenading.

I love spring.

Sunday, March 04, 2007

The End of a Beautiful Day

Ursa suddenly stood up and started barking. She HAD to go outside. When I opened the door I could hear the coyotes singing. So close. They sounded like they were in the lane. Ursa, in full bark, joined Charlie and Jesse in a rush down the hill. By the time we all reached the hay shed the coyotes had been intimidated and slunk silently off. Ursa wagged her 12-year-old tail and showed obvious pride in being a vital part of this organization.

I stood petting the goats, enjoying the warm evening of this beautiful day while counting sheep. I felt a presence, and turned to watch a large owl glide silently down to the nearby tree. He sat still except for his head, which he turned quickly back and forth, no doubt looking for the chipmunks Jesse and Charlie delight in chasing under things. After a few moments he looked straight into my eyes, then started searching for food again. I walked toward him and he silently flew into the woods. I looked toward the kennel where a hen sits on a dozen eggs, glad they will hatch into a protected space.

Sheep and geese all accounted for, coyotes and owls gone elsewhere to hunt, the dogs and I headed back up the hill.

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Nightsky Dogs at Work




The Double-Headed Guarding Machine at Nightsky, Snohomish, Washington.
Sampson and Molly guard their charges.
Photo by Linda Anderson of Nightsky.