A family stroll

We found these California Quails out for a walk this afternoon with eleven chicks. 

I'd guess that the chicks were only a few days old and they struggled to get up the last few steps. 

Eventually I scooped up the last four chicks, one by one, and popped them onto the grass at the top. 

A Walk on the Wild Side

Although the weeds are taking over round here, some of them are, at least, pretty attractive. And our native plantings are still winning the war.

Harakeke/flax that I planted shortly after moving in is flowering and the tuis are loving the nectar. I've found bird's nests under - and inside - the shed and underneath the deck too.

The mynah birds inside the shed have made a scruffy nest but we have another bird that makes the most beautiful nests with a smooth lining. I'm not sure what it is but suspect it's one of the European immigrants - maybe a thrush. Any ideas, anyone?

Tui in the harakeke

Pukeko and Parrot Proof

The pukekos infiltrated my raised beds and uprooted my leeks. 

And the parrots have been pecking my cabbages. 

So I've now put bird netting over the top as well as the wind cloth around the sides. 

The only problem is that my globe artichoke is a little tall but I've used canes to prop up the net on each side of it. 

That should do it! 

Birds on a wire

Big Birds

On our recent trip to Waitomo, we stayed on a farm specialising in big birds and miniature beasts. The ostriches were particularly tame, the emu less so.

Fowl Play

We went to Butterfly Creek the other week and I was very tempted to tuck one of their tame guinea fowls under my arm and head home with it. Apparently they're no more difficult to keep than chickens. I'll add them to my Ag Day list...

The Preening Process

 Here's our chief peacock delicately preening his emerging tail feathers.

The Peacock's New Feathers

The neighbour's peafowl have moulted over the last few months. We didn't gather up too many stunning tail feathers but we got quite a lot of nice peahen feathers which went towards making Easter cards.

This weekend, I noticed that the dominant peacock is developing new tail feathers. He sat on the rail of our deck and preened them with great care.

Interestingly, the feathers seem to be perfectly formed but not yet fully-sized. It may be that they need to grow more or it may be that the bird is still immature. The colours aren't quite ready yet either - copper-coloured rather than the expected blue/green.

I had been wondering how peacock feathers developed - or any patterned or shaped feathers for that matter. Sadly, I'm none the wiser as even the internet doesn't seem to know.

Check back tomorrow for a video of the preening process.

Peahen, up high

This peahen was startled by a cat and flew into the tree on the slope below our back path.

She looked a little baffled by how she was going to get down again and spent about half an hour up there before fluttering back down again.

Our new housemates

Eggshell

Little and Large

We found the tiny egg on the left lying on our gravel driveway. I'm not entirely sure what bird laid it - it looks too plain to be the egg of a California quail and too small to be a pukeko. And I don't think that many other birds would still be laying so late in the season. Any ideas? 

Shining Cuckoo

We found this little bird looking rather stunned beneath the rumpus room window. I was a bit baffled as to what type it was at first - it looked like a mistle thrush but had a finer head and bright green feathers. Luckily it had disappeared by nightfall - it must have recovered and flown off.

Eventually it dawned on me that it was a shining cuckoo - not all that rare but rarely seen. I'm fairly certain that I've spotted it since in the magnolia tree at the front of the house. We've had other birds nest in that tree in the past so maybe the cuckoo has found a new host for its eggs.

Welcoming Committee

Fantail 2

Fantail 1

Dust bath

A pea hen bathing in the pea gravel which is waiting for our drainage works to start up again.

Visitors

Every spring we're visited by a family of pukekos with their new offsprings. This time there are four adults and two chicks. I'm not sure exactly what the domestic arrangements are but wonder if two of the adults are last year's chicks.

We had a nerve-wracking moment with the chicks when the hawk swooped low and sent all the birds running for cover. I could only see one of the two chicks but luckily the second fluffy bundle emerged from the bush a few minutes later. Phew!

Peacocks on the prowl

It didn't take long for next door's peacocks to find (and foul) our new deck. I was amazed to find a peahen looking at me through the kitchen window and wondered if she'd flown up to the second storey. I soon discovered that she'd climbed up - along the handrail on the stairs!