Gunieas and Ducks

[zazouse]

Quote:
What is that bird on the left?

It is a "yellow crowned night heron " it is very tame as in not afraid of me.

It is also very funny ,this is it trying to keep the morning sun off it's head.

 

[cracking up]

I only have four acres but mine free range together real well. The guineas wander the whole place and the ducks and geese hang around the pools and food. I don't see a lot of interaction between them even when they're standing next to each other.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

Zazouse, you always have the coolest birds..if I only lived closer to you. Man, I would be broke from buying stuff from you.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
What is that bird on the left?

It is a "yellow crowned night heron " it is very tame as in not afraid of me.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e149/zazousemoon206/farm/spring/DSC00151.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e149/zazousemoon206/farm/spring/DSC00193.jpg
It is also very funny ,this is it trying to keep the morning sun off it's head.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e149/zazousemoon206/farm/spring/DSC00197.jpg

I suspect hes trying to attract a mate.... IM so Pretty ....

its that time of year.

 

[MysticalMom]

Awesome! Thanks. And great pics!!!

 

[1MrsMagoo]

Just be careful about having them together when they are too little: The excess moisture from the ducks can kill the keets

.
I don't have mine together, but the guineas come hang out near the ducks every day and even seem to protect them. The other day a small hawk tried to land on my juvenille runner ducks fence and got ninja attacked by three guineas. I was eating lunch in front of the bay window watching the ducks and had honestly never seen anything like it.

My guinea hen called out the alarm and took flight with one French and one Pearl rooster right behind her. They nearly landed right on top of the hawk them proceeded to chase it off the property (we have 7 acres). When they were sure it was gone they came back and paced the ducks fence line like guards as if to say, "Just you come back and see what happens to you". It was one of those moments that you just wish you had a video camera handy. All I had time to do was call my daughter over to watch the tail end of it.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
My first mini flock of guineas did just about the same thing with a coyote once. They escorted him all the way down my dirt driveway to the dirt road that crosses through my property a good thousand feet. All the time Chi Chi ing and charging at him en masse. He kept looking back as if to say.... "This aint riiiiggggt" LOL... After they came back they patrolled the yard a little while before they shut up....

 

[perchie.girl]

perchie.girl :

Quote:
It is a "yellow crowned night heron " it is very tame as in not afraid of me.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e149/zazousemoon206/farm/spring/DSC00151.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e149/zazousemoon206/farm/spring/DSC00193.jpg
It is also very funny ,this is it trying to keep the morning sun off it's head.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e149/zazousemoon206/farm/spring/DSC00197.jpg

I suspect hes trying to attract a mate.... IM so Pretty ....

its that time of year.​

OK I was totally wrong here I had to dig up more info on Herons and here is a great article.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heron
and a picture of them making themselves a hunting umbrella.... amazing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Balck_Heron_canopy_crop.jpg

They make them selves an umbrella so they can hunt better in bright light. Waaayyy coool for sure.

 

[zazouse]

Intresting info thanks for sharing.
I think it was trying to stay cool because it was turned away from the water where the fish were visible.

 

[1MrsMagoo]

perchie.girl :

Quote:
My first mini flock of guineas did just about the same thing with a coyote once. They escorted him all the way down my dirt driveway to the dirt road that crosses through my property a good thousand feet. All the time Chi Chi ing and charging at him en masse. He kept looking back as if to say.... "This aint riiiiggggt" LOL... After they came back they patrolled the yard a little while before they shut up....

They can be annoying, but you just have to love them. It is even funnier that they can do such amazing things, like chasing coyotes, but can't find their way back into the coop at night. **Run up the fenceline, lower head, run down the fenceline.......... lower head further, run up the fenceline....raise head and stretch neck upwards....run down the fenceline: Repeat for an hour before giving up and flying OVER the fence