"We must achieve the character and acquire the skills to live much poorer than we do. We must waste less. We must do more for ourselves and for each other. It is either that or continue merely to think and talk about changes that we are inviting catastrophe to make. The great obstacle is simply this: the conviction that we cannot change because we are dependant on what is wrong. But that is the addict's excuse, and we know that it will not do."
—Wendell Berry

Thursday 15 November 2012

Turkeys, parrots and new roof.

I think I mentioned previously that the turkey hen, Henrietta, attempted to sit a nest of her own eggs with no success. She must have still been in a very broody mood because she promptly took over the ducks nest in a patch of galingale. The duck didn't seem to mind, she is a pretty rotten mother anyway and just waddled off to begin another nest behind the feed trough in the cattle yards. Anyway, two days ago Henrietta appeared leading a small gaggle of six ducklings and looking very happy with herself. Hopefully she will have more success with her own eggs in the future and I can have turkey as well as duck for dinner.
God only knows what the ducklings will grow up to be like. I hope they don't follow after their adopted father Gobbles. I already have all the mentally deficient poultry I can handle.
 
Each year our local King parrots bring in their latest batch of offspring. They enjoy a good feed at the chooks trough and I often watch them as I milk the cow each morning. This year they only have one youngster instead of the usual two.
Over the years they have become quite tolerant of our movements and will quietly ignore us moving about as long as we do not get too close.

 Today I am replacing the weather side of the roof with new sheeting. I have been waiting a week for this clear weather as, of course, it began raining heavily as soon as I purchased the roofing iron and brought it home. As luck would have it today has turned out clear but extremely hot. I have to do it now though as that part of the roof will not last another wet season and we already have several leaks coming through. Next winter I want to finish replacing the rest of the roof in somewhat less inclement weather.
 

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3 comments:

  1. Jim15 November 2012 at 20:03

    The king parrots are so pretty Ulf.
    We usually see a flock of about 6-8 arrive here from neighbour's nesting trees each year and 4-6 seem to be babies so we must have good sized clutches compared to you. They always come to us for water and share our fruit.

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    1. Ulf15 November 2012 at 20:37

      Yes, ours "share" our fruit too. Usually the day before I go to pick it...
      I just assumed they had clutches of two. It is good to know they can have more than that. I am thinking about putting up some nesting boxes to encourage more about the place.

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  2. Jim22 November 2012 at 11:51

    You got me wondering Ulf about the size of clutches for king parrots. Our bird book says 3-5 so I guess the numbers we see around at times is about right.
    At the moment eastern rosellas are giving our fruit trees a hard time so I am busily covering to beat them and fruit fly.

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