Surprise!

We've had some weird potential predator sightings lately, one right up by the closed chicken coop door (!).  I picked up a cheap game camera yesterday to see if it could be of any use.  I've long loved following Colorado Farm Life's captures of not only the wildlife around them, but also their daily comings and goings, so I was pretty excited to see what I'd find here.

I need to do some thinking on how best to focus on the chicken coop area without the horses messing with it, so for last night I set it up looking out towards the back of the farm, just up from the creek.  I'd seen a coyote further out from there and figured if it was going to trek to the barn, it would likely cross this path.

I knew something has been coming around at night because Bea has been on high alert and doing a good job sounding the alarm.  Interestingly though, I've not heard any coyotes calling except way back on a neighboring farm.  I'm not sure if this is what she hears in the evenings as the time stamp was from early morning, but look!

Just strolling through, using the bridge.  I've never seen a deer here.  I've never even knowingly seen any signs of deer when I've been out walking, but of course their tracks and droppings look very much like sheep...  No coyote or fox sightings.

I'm only going to run it at night to try to save on battery usage, but for fun I left it on this morning until all the sheep had gone out.

Murphy, leading the way.

Baby B

Burrnie:  "I feel like someone is watching me."

Liddy is never up with the early risers ;-).

 Bullwinkle and Biscuit bringing up the rear.

I haven't decided where I'm going to set it tonight.  I think I can rig it up near the coop, but I'm also toying with watching the creek.  I'd like to set it up back at the ponds, too, but need to let it do it's main job for a few night first.

Stay tuned!

Nest Watch 2

Sort of like looking for a four leaf clover...

...somewhere in there is a bird nest.  Do you see it?  I almost didn't either.  In fact, if the mother hadn't flown up as Kate and I walked towards it, I might have stepped on it :-o.

Now do you see it?

There were three eggs and one just hatched baby in the nest when I found it in the morning.  By the time I got back out there to mark the nest, there were three hatched and just one egg left.  Last night there were no eggs, but the babies were all piled on top of each other and I didn't want to disturb them so I'm assuming there are now four babies.  I'll check back in a few days.

The only ground nesting bird I was familiar with was a Kildeer.  It didn't seem like a likely spot for a Kildeer though.  I usually find them in a rocky spot and they yell at me while flying away. This momma just quickly and quietly disappeared.

I came in and looked up nesting birds in Kentucky and didn't see anything that was a positive match. One nice site, The Birder's Report, offered to ID a nest, so I sent a picture and description of the location and quickly received a response back.  It's an Eastern Meadowlark!  One of my favorite birds to see around here.

I didn't realize they were ground nesters.  We leave as much "wild" area along our fence lines, creeks and ponds as we can Saint Tim will tolerate.  This nest is in the mowed area next to the "safe" area I'm guessing because the "wild" areas are too weedy.  I'm not sure what to do about that.  In the meantime, I've got this nest flagged and will be watching the ground for other nests.

Kate and Tilly never pass up a chance for a Unit ride, even if it involves boring sitting and watching me clean up fence lines.  The fence painters are coming.  We've been working our butts off trying to get ready.  That's the downside to letting things "go wild".  

Much of the perimeter fences are going to stay wild and covered up (you can see that in the background), but the interior field fences are being tidied up.  The fences around the big pond will just have the fronts cleaned up and painted.  I'll be glad when this is over!

If you've been jonesin' for some new puzzles, you are in luck!  I think this picture of Kate and Tilly would be fun, too :-).  

Enjoy!

Sunday Stills - Things With Wings

I had grandiose plans to go over to our little Cynthiana airport (where I'd probably get caught hanging out all the time if I didn't have sheep, horses, chickens, studio construction, weaving my butt off to get a blanket off my big loom so I can get it moved out to the new studio...to keep me too busy) and get some fun shots of all the small planes over there.

In my little daydream, some dashing pilot would come up and say "Would you like to go up in one of those planes, little lady?" and I'd get to wear a white silk scarf and cool goggles and fly over our farm...

But alas, it's hard to soar with the eagles when you work with a bunch off chickens, so that's what we've got today.



This is Little Jane. She's a tiny little hen who's been known to crow like a rooster on occasion. Only at Equinox Farm. I had to google that when I heard it the first time and sure enough, there's even a saying about 'whistling women and crowing hens...' This picture isn't in complete focus, but I like it anyway. I'd like it better if it were super clear.



This is a chicken without a name or outstanding plumage, but I love the way the background turned out and if you click to biggify you can see the gate and corner of the barn reflected in her eye.



Of course, no wing post would be complete without one of the bees, also nameless. I love to biggify the bee pictures - just amazing little critters.



Now this just appears to be a picture of neat clouds, but if you look closely (or biggify) there are birds actually using their wings. Taken from the new porch the other night. We've had beautiful clouds and sunsets lately. Has everyone?



And a good excuse to pull out another hawk picture from the archives. In the upper left corner you can see a tiny bird giving him or her what-for. I love to see the big hawks getting chased around by some little pipsqueak of a bird. You've got to be wondering what they are thinking - the hawks that is. I'm pretty sure I know what the little birds are thinking.

For more Sunday Stills...

Stealth

By far, one of my favorite photographs to date. Captured while out on my Sunday Stills search. Usually Saint Tim is the wildlife spotter. I love my camera (definitely click to biggify!).

I also have some nice lamb shots from the weekend, but I just can't bring myself to add them to this post. That hawk looks big enough to haul off a small lamb.

Not that Keebs and Graham are small anymore :-/.