Wednesday, May 6, 2009

All About Avians

Our spring weather arrives in such a hurry that much of the wildlife is in the sort of frenzy not seen around here til the last time the woman discovered her timepiece had vanished into the manure pile. None are more frantic than the various avians who are building, marrying, producing eggs and foraging for all sorts of revolting food (a lot of it involves worms).

Last week the woman took Molly on one of their forest jaunts and apparently the place was a hive of activity on all fronts, including aquatic. The aquatic life attracts a bird that is nearly as tall as a human and is called, so I understand, a Great Blue Herring. It looks bluish, preoccupied and disheveled - something like an elderly professor. It finds the frog residents to be the equivalent of stud muffins and seeks them relentlessly, Meanwhile the frog chorus booms out so loudly that no one can hear a thing. And that is how it came about that Molly chugged around a corner and nearly onto one of these Herring things. It said "Awwwwpppp" and began to slowly flap it's wings, It staggered into the air, just clearing the woman's head and covering them both in shadow. Fortunately it pulled up the undercarriage enough to miss the top of the pudding basin the woman wears on her head. If she had been basin-less the poor Herring would have become permanently entangled in the shrubbery she calls hair and would have spent the rest of it's life like one of those unfortunate birds on a Victorian hat.

On Sunday, two other large avians landed in our paddock and declared they might be interested in homesteading. They had a muted grey and beige colour scheme and black points. Oddly they must both have had toothache because they looked like they were sporting white handerchiefs around their chins. They were loud and bossy and strutted around poking their beaks here and there. We studied them for awhile and then Doc had had enough and charged at them, ears pinned back. They heaved themselves airborne and departed, throwing insults over their shoulders. The humans called them Canada Geese but I don't know how they can tell - those birds had no paperwork with them whatsoever.

Also in our paddock, we have dozens of crows who hold court in the treetops, screeching and squawking like so many fish mongers. Like TJ, they are attracted by anything shiny and have littered our premises with various candy and gum wrappers. Jack calls them "trailer trash flyers". I'm afraid they're here to stay, interrupting our nap times and dropping refuse on us. The wrappers are useless to a donkey'; they make our teeth sting.

On a bright note, the religious humans came by today and were leaning on the top fence rail, thrusting a magazine at the woman when Doc noticed them. He was delighted. He bellowed his welcome and galloped over. They appeared stunned, the more so when he grabbed the magazine and tore it in half. They left in rather a hurry and poor Doc was devastated. We live in fear that he will be lured into a cult one of these days and we will then have to do an intervention or what Jack calls an "interference".

4 comments:

Buddy said...

Hay Sheaffer - I can't believe I am about to say this - but - DOC - GOOD JOB! We all believe here in Paws Rump - we don't need peeples coming around reminding us - we believe and thats it! We worship in our own way. My woman and I say prayers all the time - especially before the horsie races. We always want the horsies to come back safely. We also pray that all equines are safe. We don't need peeples knocking on the door to remind us.

XXOO

billie said...

I'm shocked the religioso returned after Doc's last welcome! It's simply too bad that TJ couldn't have had a go at them before he went back to Primrose.

And I am sitting here trying to imagine Jack performing an interference - whew - I have a feeling it would be a powerful one.

Send some good donkey energy down south today, as everyone, including donkey boys here, is getting Coggins, EEE shot, and teeth check. Not floating today, but any who need that will be set up for later.

I am not a big fan of needles in general, but the idea of a needle going into those little and very muscular donkey necks just makes me... weak in the knees. But I must be brave for the boys.

Nachodonkey said...

Oh my!! How was Molly with the bird flapping over her ears? No hysterics? I think it would have scared the life out of me!

We have the "caws" land in the forest behind the house at sunset. The really create a racket and my horses are a little jittery but to have a blue heron take off so close overhead would have them back at the house and me sitting over air.

I would hate to think of us all trying to get Doc into a trailer and spirit him away from a cult would be quite a daunting task. How would you sneak that rear end out of a compound? Best to keep him away from the pamphlets.

ponymaid said...

Buddy, these religious types are most persistent. They have an unwavering belief that they personally have all the answers to every possible question. It's very annoying when a donkey is trying to doze in the shade. Of course, when Doc showed such tremendous enthusiasm, they fled. This leads me to believe they are discriminatory in their vaulation of potential converts, and who would want to join a group like that?

Billie, these are new religious zealots - the others haunted our last place. I suspect Doc may have dampened the ardour of this lot. He's very hurt and feels shunned, which is surely not one of the cornerstones of a belief system? Jack suspected them of being "vitinaries" and glared daggers in their direction. I am glad to hear your group survived the day of sharp needles. I wonder if the equines at both our places were being poked simultaneously>? What can it all mean?

Nachodonkey, Molly wasn't the least bit bothered by the Herring thing - a Heron you call it? That's what the woman said it was but I thought Herring was more accurate as it eats vast quantities of fish. Molly simply sneered at it and trudged on but the woman said it gave her quite a start - she could hear it rustling over her head. Regarding Doc being seduced into a cult, fortunately he can't read, which is why he shreds the propaganda they leave. Unfortunately he is highly suggestible and if some said "Here Doc, have this bucket of refreshing blue Koolaid", he would gulp the lot. I keep a close eye on him.