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Archive through April 13, 2005

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: 2005 Mar. ~ 2005 May: Hariball Haven (ARCHIVES): Birds (ARCHIVES): Archive through April 13, 2005 users admin

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Seamonkey
Member

09-07-2000

Saturday, March 05, 2005 - 2:13 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
But ducks eat snails and I find that to be a wonderful feature :-)

Ophiliasgrandma
Member

09-04-2001

Saturday, March 05, 2005 - 3:58 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Well, there's that too. I think it's called 'The Food Chain'.

Kristylovesbb
Member

09-14-2000

Sunday, April 03, 2005 - 5:05 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
.



Kristylovesbb
Member

09-14-2000

Sunday, April 03, 2005 - 5:14 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Trying again to post a picture of Mercedes playing dead.

Image04

Eeyoreslament
Member

07-20-2003

Monday, April 04, 2005 - 10:56 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Actually....

HERE is a picture of Kristylovesbb's bird Mercedes playing dead.

mercedes

Eeyoreslament
Member

07-20-2003

Monday, April 04, 2005 - 10:59 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
OT - Kristy, I found that the file was saved in a JPEG File Interchange format, which I THINK might be different than JPEG but I'm not sure exactly why or how. I opened it with Irfanview, and just converted the file to GIF. Made it a bit bigger, and VOILA!!

Draheid recommended Irfanview to me, and I use it to convert files and to do screen captures mainly. It's a helpful little free program.

Goddessatlaw
Member

07-19-2002

Tuesday, April 05, 2005 - 6:53 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Kristy, that picture is a riot. When does Mercedes play dead, does she do it just whenever, or when you tell her to, or to let you know she's feeling playful? We saw a huge African Gray hanging upsidedown on a rope swing recently, and Colossus said birds hang upside down when they're relaxed and happy. It reminded me of when BBuser said her bird likes to play upside-down-bird . I think we're going to have to get a little parrot sometime soon - we were in Pet Smart recently and Colossus was communing with this baby yellow conure that took to him like a duck to water. Those two really hit it off, but the conure had already developed a scream and was too far along for Colossus to socialize him for our house. Kristy, Colossus just looked at your dead Mercedes picture (I'm still laughing at the look on her face) and he says your bird is very happy and trusting to lay on her back like that.

Well, speaking of ducks, life on the reservoir is a little more exciting than usual this year. We have been visited with several new types of fowl this year - most notably a mated pair of loons. We've never had loons before, so we're really looking forward to this. The herons are back, but their old nest is still swamped from the rains so I doubt they'll be living nearby this year. I haven't seen the owl lately, but the ducks are skittish because of a large hawk in the area. We're being careful not to bring them too far up on the hill so they're not unprotected when he's around.

We're having a good time with a high-personality girl we call Mabel Goose. Miss Mabel is a bit of a pirate - she commandeered this pontoon that is parked by the dock next to us, decided that was just the place to raise some goslings, and proceeded to build herself a nest of sticks, nylon canvass and rope. Whatever she could find on the deck (this boat has been a thorn in our side for a few years - it's never used and always a mess). Colossus and I first noticed her Sunday morning, and went down to take a closer look (with camera por supuesto). Not only had Miss Mable laid five or six eggs, but she'd managed to hang a mass of knotted rope around her neck.

Now, there are those of you who've never tangled with a pissed-off mama goose who might call us fraidy-cats. It is an honorofic I will wear like a presidential medal around my neck. Neither Colossus nor I had the nerve get close enough to pull the rope off Mabel's neck, although we tried - she started hissing to beat the band and even though she's not a large goose, well - we'd have needed a couple of blankets and steel-fiber gloves to keep from getting chewed up by the girl if we'd have gotten any closer.

So we retreated to the deck to regroup and try to figure out how to get Mabel out of the ropes without risking a) getting bit and b) breaking the eggs. Next time we looked down the hill, though the fabulous Miss Mabel had managed to untangle herself and was sitting smugly on her nest basically daring all comers to try messing with her again.

So now we're worried that the boat's owner, who hasn't paid attention to the boat at all, will clear her off the deck and throw away the eggs. Colossus wants to go offer him money for the boat, since he doesn't seem to care for it anyway, so Mabel can stay there and he can clean it up and hang his pirate flag on it when she's done LOL.

ANYWAY, even though Colossus hates the Canadian Geese, I get to take corn down to Miss Mabel. She has won over Colossus by force of personality, industriousness and an act of sheer piracy. We love her and are really looking forward to seeing her babies this summer (although lord help me goslings just are not cute - I know I will love hers, but it won't be because they are cute like the ducklings).

Well, I tried to post a picture of the Fabulous Miss Mabel, but it doesn't want to post even though it's small enough. I'll try again later.



Colossus
Member

05-24-2004

Tuesday, April 05, 2005 - 7:51 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
A bit too much contrast from the bright sun to see her colors but, the theme is evident.
Goose eggs

Kristylovesbb
Member

09-14-2000

Tuesday, April 05, 2005 - 8:12 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thank you so much Eyeore that info is very helpful. Gal yes Mercedes plays dead on command. She does lots of tricks my favorite one being when I tell her to jump. I place her on my bed and give the command and she jumps around and around the bed like a Kangaroo. It is the funniest thing to watch! She gives me high five and shakes my hand, kisses on command and snuggles under by chin while saying hey baby. I could go on and on about all the tricks my birds do, I have 4 large parrots and 4 cockatiels. Gal I raised all my parrots myself, handfed them with a syringe. Parrots are much easier to deal with if you raise them from babies or al least go to the pet shop and help them during feeding times so that the baby gets to know you. There are many pros and cons to having parrots one of the cons is the loudness of the birds and conures are considered some of the loudest. The sunconure is a BEAUTIFUL parrot but like all conures they are loud. I would love to have one but DH said no. Also parrots put out an enormous amount of dust,or powder, in the air. We have aircleaners in every room of our house. The love they give is worth it to me no other pet will scream for joy when they see and want to give a kiss. My husbands parrot, Ugg, jumps out her cages screaming daddys home, my daddybirds hommmmmmme! When he walks in she says "I love you daddybird". People can say what they want but I know from experience that parrots don't just mimic what they hear, I sure as hell never called myself mamabird! When I worked I always came in saying hey birds mamas home. Then one day my oldest said mamabirds home! From then on she had them all saying mamabird and daddybird. The funniest thing they do is tell us to hush if we are yelling at each other. My B/G will yell hush!, you better hush it up right now! Well as usual when I get on this subject I can't seem to keep it short.LOL

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Tuesday, April 05, 2005 - 1:30 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Amusing, heartwarming stuff, Kristy. Glad you got the picture posted. It is cute as can be.

Jmm
Member

08-16-2002

Tuesday, April 05, 2005 - 6:03 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
GAL, I tried a little contrast enhancement. Does this help?

xx


Goddessatlaw
Member

07-19-2002

Tuesday, April 05, 2005 - 7:03 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Oh, ya - that's our Mabel Myrtle. That thing around her neck is the rope all knotted in front. Thanks, Jackie!!! PS I went down and poured a little corn on the deck for her and she hissed at me like a snake. LOL - it's going to take alot of undoing to get her to forget all the rocks Colossus has rocketed at her ass to get her off the lawn. I've got my work cut out for me with this one, but I intend to win.

PS Kristy your birds sound like an absolute laugh riot to have around. Thanks for letting us in on how much fun they are. Colossus keeps telling me, but I dunno - I never had one.

Kristylovesbb
Member

09-14-2000

Sunday, April 10, 2005 - 8:42 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Here is a picture of my neighbor's chicken that crosses the street to come visit me. She pecks on the front door for me to come out and give her some chicken scratch. Sometimes she gets so full that she almost falls asleep so she climbs up in my potted plant and spends the night.

The Chicken 003

Kristylovesbb
Member

09-14-2000

Sunday, April 10, 2005 - 8:45 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Trying again:

The Chicken 001

Ophiliasgrandma
Member

09-04-2001

Monday, April 11, 2005 - 8:40 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I just love hens. Quite the characters, aren't they?

Kristylovesbb
Member

09-14-2000

Monday, April 11, 2005 - 10:07 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Yes they are Ophiliasgrandma. My dh sits on the porch often, sometimes a hawk will land in one of our trees and scare the chicken. She just jumps up on the ledge of the bay window and hides behind my husband. She will sit there for hours until the coast is clear. You'd think she could at least lay us a couple of eggs once in a while, but nooooooo!

Mizinvanccouver
Member

02-22-2003

Monday, April 11, 2005 - 10:09 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Kristy--That's hilarious! Thanks for sharing your story! I didn't know they could be so smart and come knock on your door for food! lol

Ophiliasgrandma
Member

09-04-2001

Monday, April 11, 2005 - 11:17 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    


I think perhaps, Kristy, you have a Barred Rock apecking at your door. My grand daugher used to have one for a pet.

Mizinvanccouver
Member

02-22-2003

Monday, April 11, 2005 - 11:22 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Wow, I didn't know people had them for pets! What a pretty bird!

Ophiliasgrandma-Did you grand daughters Barred Rock do anything unusual? Or unusual to me because I just thought the like to eat, sleep, lay eggs, go outside, cluck... lol

Eeyoreslament
Member

07-20-2003

Monday, April 11, 2005 - 11:25 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
LOL Kristy. You have given a REAL answer to the "Why did the chicken cross the road" joke.

Kristylovesbb
Member

09-14-2000

Monday, April 11, 2005 - 11:41 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks for the info Ophiliasgrandma. I think she is rather pretty too Mizinvanccouver. There used to be two of them that came over until one day one of them killed over right beside my raised garden. In the winter I use it for a compost pile and after supper every night I dumped everything in it. Well she was eating from it one day and just croaked right then and there. My husband is still ribbing me about it. He swears I give him chronic indigestion heartburn and stomach aches. Now he says he has proof that it is my cooking. He tells everyone that I am trying to kill him and he knows I have a Blanche Moore cookbook somewhere hidden in this house.LOL

Mybbusername
Member

08-22-2002

Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - 5:35 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I just have to share...I work in Safety Harbor Florida, and there is a cell tower behind our office. Atop the tower there is a huge bald eagle nest...Mom, Dad and an eaglet!!

The baby is all black- white feathers will appear in a few months. He hasn't flown (that we know of) but in the last few days he has started really fanning his wings alot. Even as a baby his wing span is enormous!

I feel so fortunate to be able to watch something so amazing and moving-everyday.

When the mother/dad brings home a fish, or the baby flaps his wings, or when they are just sitting there- it is powerfully moving just to glimpse their daily lives.




Kristylovesbb
Member

09-14-2000

Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - 8:09 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Oh wow MBBUN, you are so lucky!! I live near a large lake that is home to several eagles. Every now and then I will get to see one in the sky. I always run for the binoculars. They are so beautiful!!!!

Ophiliasgrandma
Member

09-04-2001

Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - 9:06 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Say, Mybbusername, the white feathers of bald eagles don't make an appearence for several 'years'. About 3-4 as best I remember.

Mybbusername
Member

08-22-2002

Wednesday, April 13, 2005 - 6:40 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
O-grandma- your right- I was assuming the person that told me months was correct- but a quick internet check says "Years" too. Sorry.

They are amazing to watch- you have to wonder where they put ALL THAT WING when they are just perched- it simply does not seem possible-

Anybody know when eaglets begin to fly?