Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[WhoDatChick]

You do indeed have a different experience of and opinion of the bald eagle than I do. I live with the pair that owns this bend of the river, and I can tell you their song thrills me. I'm in tune with their life style all year long. All January they are together, happiest time of year for them. They do their sky dance and sing all month long. Then, come the end of the month or early February, I wont see them together again until about May. They have a nest every year and rear a couple babies every year. I have actually watched them making the transition, as they both sit on the nest. I can't see the nest from here but they spend a great deal of time in my tree that leans out over the river and in the slough across the river.

Right now the solo call of the eagle is on the air and I know that the other one is on the nest. I watched one just this morning overlooking the slough for fish. Unfortunately with the river so high, fishing is nearly non-existent even for the human fishermen.

Neighbors have video of them descending on a calf at the moment of birth. We know it's not a stillborn, and yes the mom is right there. This is what any wildlife will do when they are desperate. My neighbor had one of them come and take a chicken from him while he was standing 10 feet away.

Normally, like I said, they eat salmon, trout, ducks and baby geese, and yes, they are Canadian Geese. But the river is high, and we just got through duck hunting season, so the ducks are hiding somewhere else.

They are fabulous birds. I just need to keep my chickens protected from them. And the hatcheries and dam operators need to be more responsible.

... I am in awe of them for sure! You are so lucky to see that all the time.. they have become very abundant here and where we used to live we’d see them often.. we lived near a pond and they’d fish there and catch the occasional Muscovy... here are some pics I took of one eating a fish it just caught.. I’ve posted these before but it’s been awhile.. sorry for poor quality...

 

[CrazyChookChookLady]

Well since my phone posted in the wrong thread...

Bob your egg is growing nicely!

 

[RoyalChick]

And these guys are terrifying, beautiful but terrifying.

Stunning! Though I may now have nightmares.

 

[BY Bob]

Well since my phone posted in the wrong thread...

Bob your egg is growing nicely!

View attachment 2024870

I found it, but I was wondering if you were hatching me a duck.

 

[micstrachan]

How horrible for you Micstrachan.
When you thought you were doing her a kindness, it must have been quite traumatic.
I'm so sorry that happened. I had no idea either. Thank you for sharing

Thank you.

 

[WhoDatChick]

And these guys are terrifying, beautiful but terrifying.

I’m quite fond of them, they are seasonal here arriving around the spring equinox and leaving about the fall equinox, and they co-exist with the eagles and Ravens without fuss.

Sooooooo cooool!

 

[Ribh]

No Potential Predators for a While

If you discount cats, all I've seen have been skunks and no sign of them for several nights now. I'm not sure what to do now.

I never set the weasel trap. I've not seen him come back.

I've tightened up security all I can.

Do I set the weasel trap and see?

I'm stumped. I would expect a predator to keep coming back night after night? Should I have the skunks trapped?

What does everyone think?

No idea. I have no experience...

 

[Ribh]

And those are FAST!

Yep. We have @ least 20 different raptors. The falcons are by far the fastest by all are incredible fliers.

 

[MaryJanet]

If this is really what happened, it doesn't make me feel any better. I mean it's just so tragic that is how my bestie is gone.

It's good news for everyone else but just so wasteful, so wasteful.

I think of her often. And Ribh's Tuppence.

 

[micstrachan]

I think that's one of the reasons chickens lay the quantity of eggs they do. not many are going to survive.
For me, caring for the chickens has been a bit of a life lesson. There are lots of predators here, yet the tribes survive and some will and have lived to a good age, at least compared to many of the chickens bought on impulse and viewed as pets I read about here on BYC where four years old seems to be a good age. Assuming Fat Bird makes it through the next couple of weeks, and assuming I do to, we will be celebrating her tenth birthday together.

I thought we bred them that way? To lay so many eggs, that is. Or is it just the high production breeds?