Chick journal- FAQ's week 1.5

Portrait of a Golden laced Wyandotte chick

Chick of Golden Laced Wyandotte in grass

Questions about chicks-- By popular demand. FAQ's for week 1.5
1. The chicks are nearly three times the size they were compared to when they first arrived at ~ 4 days old.
2. They change from being chicks to pullets by adding feathers. In the past few days we have seen new feathers added to the few they have on each side of their bodies.   In the gallery included you can see which are older as little epaulets become wing-lets.
3. The are beginning to grow the very first little hints of tail feathers. Look at this chicks "tail" in the second picture. You can see a bit of fluffiness and brushy look to the feathers there (just barely). This is from some feathers coming in underneath and the change in the feathers/down at their backsides.
4. They are practicing perching and flying - or some combination - by flapping and jumping to scare and surprise each other.  They leap across the cage into the crowd of their sister chicks ... landing with peep-outbursts.
5. They always walk through their food first, balancing in it and feeling it squeeze between their reptilian toes.
6. Food is more fun, apparently, if stolen from your sister after a chase. It matters not if there is a plate of it-- cheeping and stealing is great game.

More chicks in the gallery for those who love them.  CHICKS HERE

Share your chick stories and help construct tell us when to expect what as they mature.
Thanks!

Spring chickens: little things to save the earth

Rhode Island Red chick sleeping in the spring Phox

Americans have taken to chickens with a earnest vengeance. With the seriousness of intention -- "I want to make a difference" -- a difference in the environment, the food chain, or our relationship to nature -- and the pleasure experienced when that something is chickens. More of us every day are adding these funny productive birds to our homes. For those of us first-timers our chicks are arriving this month. Lots of crazy peeping coming from new homes and more of us falling under their spell.

Here is a chicky slide show to celebrate.... Enjoy!
Spring Chicks - Images by Sharon McDonnell

Dressing for spring: Goldfinch breeding colors

Photographers journal

On goldfinch turning yellow.....

I'm sorry I do not have a way to salute the coming of spring-- like the goldfinches sudden brilliant yellow patches that turn it into a canary yellow bird.

Instead spring urges me to plant and dig dirt --

I think turning into a different color would be easier in the long run.

I could pick a different color each spring!

Spring is high hopes".   

                  ----Gay McDonnell Bumgarner,  Photographer 

                       March 1980

I remember in the spring we used to wear bonnets, new dresses with big crinkly slips. Or, perhaps little suits and ties.  Was it our goldfinch-ness perhaps, that same urge to show our colors, to look bright, maybe act like a tulip?  Blooming.

Check out more goldfinches to see their winter and spring outfits.

 See the gallery of Goldfinches here

The first chorus of spring: Peepers

Frog show - Images by Sharon McDonnell

On March 20-- exactly the spring equinox
the amphibian universe activated in Maine

The biological chorus switched on.

The air is wet and cool, sweet with spring and as our car travels
through the tunnel of light down Sligo road
Cued by rising temperature and enough hours of light

the earths' quickening comes as harmony

The Spring Peepers aka "pinkletinks" or tinkletoes

sing A hue and cry,

Hallaluah! the love songs of frogs and toads

sweet enough to break your heart

Here in Maine they hibernate until spring and

when they emerge the nights are capricious

but the frogs can freeze and recover.

It is magic and even if it is not

it is

magical

When the conditions are right they move

to the edges of lakes and wetlands

Males call to the females who listen very carefully to their songs and then decide which to join.

If you click on the "Play Button" you can hear

Songs of the army or the knot (the official name of a group!)

In the audio files below they can give the song for each type of frog and toad.

Interesting....Did you know that what a frog says and
how it says it depends on what it is trying to communicate!

Imagine what we are missing because we do not speak any frog!

Listen to Frog songs 

If you want to see more frogs and toads search the website

or check previous posts on one of our favorite animals.

Gorgeous the piglet & photographers trunks

Living around photographers

Gorgeous the Pot belly piglet

According to Nancy shepherd owner of "Pig O my Heart" a farm in central Missouri, This wonderful little piglet is named Gorgeous and she is is a Potbelly. (Link to Pig o my Heart) Nancy wrote to say "I remember so well Gay coming  here to photograph a complete litter.  It was so much fun watching her work.  As I recall for this one she brought a piece of sod and we placed in on top of the picnic table so that we could get the beautiful background of sky and pasture"

Note to reader-- it is well worth a careful look in the trunk of a photographers car.  One can find bits of sod, dead possums (more on that later), food for low blood sugar or to appease animals for photos, model and property releases, cloth for backdrops, a towel, odd bits of equipment, a box to hold special found things, etc etc. In fact I am sure it would be interesting to see what photographers consider absolutely necessary equipment to do what they do.

Pigs make wonderful subjects for photos. They are game, willing, expressive, and cute.  They can even pose for photos and if you don't believe me see Jezebel posing for show.  She is just one of the amazing Showpig photos from Nancy's ranch.

Let us know if you have a caption for Gorgeous or any questions.

Sharon

Valentines Day: Science and Flowers

"Solitude" winner of 1993 Americana rose competition

Scientists report that women and men who receive flowers smile more, talk more and stand closer together than when given a gift of fruit, pens, or candles. And, the more flowers they get, the more smiles. “Our hypothesis,” said a Rutgers researcher, “is that flowers are exploiting an emotional niche "they induce positive emotions so we take care of them. In that sense they're like dogs. They are the pets of the plant world.” 

Here is a flower for you that won’t wilt or fade.

Happy Valentines Day!

Wild roses

Raccoon Nation -- Our mischievious friends

Woodland Animals -Raccoons

Tonight the PBS shows "Raccoon Nation" a story of the evolution of raccoons. The idea is that they are getting smarter and adapting to the environment-- Thanks to us.
We see them every day and yet know little about them.

Meanwhile see our gallery of the raccons

Animals - Raccoons: wits and perserverence 

Watch the slide show for some interesting raccoon photos or click on them and go to the gallery. Then see the summary article in NYT or Canadian broadcasting.

Canadian documentary on raccoons