Mass Spazzy Dance

[briefvisit]

I've watched for months:

this morning, at first light, an adult with nine chicks ran from the scrub right in front of me, and launched into the most manic spazzy dance I've ever seen, just for the joy of being young and emu on a fine autumn day (with fig tree). The group began dancing in close proximity, then 'star burst' off through the bush, and around the house-clearing, over an area a hundred yards wide.

[Tee hee, got wild emus 'casing' the clearing at this second, trying to get to the fig tree. Number One will try to hold them off.]


SE

 

[mich9510]

I love watching the spazzy dance! When I let Daryl out of the coop in the morning he runs the property and does his dance. He loves to wander and sometimes loses track of his chickens. When he finds them he also does his spazzy dance because he's so happy to see his friends again!
I've got two hardy fig trees started inside just for Daryl.
Wish I could have seen ten emus doing their spazzy dance.
Was it Eric the emu and his chicks?

 

[briefvisit]

Bad news below, but first:

I was so very pleased to learn that you have seen Daryl spazzy dance! And re the fig trees: it's about captive birds getting enough exercise. I've seen generation after generation of chicks enjoying figs in the autumn sunshine. They have to get up on tippy toes, and jump; and you see first hand the fine exercise they get from the stretch-and-twist motion of scoring each fig.

Mich, it’s time I posted this news:

some weeks ago, after Eric and his clutch had already been ‘based’ at the house-clearing here for several months, they choofed off in the morning, as they often do; but in the evening, Eric and one chick did not return, and two of the chicks that did return were injured, one fairly seriously.

I fear Eric is dead because the ‘divestment’ – the point at which the male leaves the chicks – was still weeks and weeks away.
The nature of one of the chick’s injuries tells me, ‘Fence!’

It remains to be seen if Eric, who is the ‘original emu’ of the years of study here, turns up in late autumn: that is, somehow, something happened, and Eric was separated from the chicks, not killed.

By summer next year, if we have no sighting, I’ll be convinced, though, that he is dead.

Now, there is a lighter side: ‘Limpy Chick’ is a little better, looks good to survive. The other should also be okay. The chicks ‘adopted’ Number One, a female, and there is hilarity there. Number One enthusiastically pecked the chicks on the head for days, and then just gave up, and accepted that she is their new daddy.


And today is a classic 'Autumn Emu Day': the eight chicks are here. Number One 'commands' the clearing. The fabulous dark female is here. And so is a wild breeding-pair. You guys can turn up here anytime you like, with a sleeping bag and binos, and sit for weeks on the bench in the garden, watching wild emus interact.

S.E.

 

[Finnie]

Oh dear, Supreme Emu,

That is sad, sad news about Eric. Somehow I forgot about him being a wild animal, and just figured he would always be there. I have read all of your observation threads. You have my sincere condolences.

-Finnie, An Emu Fan, and lurker.

 

[mich9510]

Bad news below, but first:

I was so very pleased to learn that you have seen Daryl spazzy dance! And re the fig trees: it's about captive birds getting enough exercise. I've seen generation after generation of chicks enjoying figs in the autumn sunshine. They have to get up on tippy toes, and jump; and you see first hand the fine exercise they get from the stretch-and-twist motion of scoring each fig.

Mich, it’s time I posted this news:

some weeks ago, after Eric and his clutch had already been ‘based’ at the house-clearing here for several months, they choofed off in the morning, as they often do; but in the evening, Eric and one chick did not return, and two of the chicks that did return were injured, one fairly seriously.

I fear Eric is dead because the ‘divestment’ – the point at which the male leaves the chicks – was still weeks and weeks away.
The nature of one of the chick’s injuries tells me, ‘Fence!’

It remains to be seen if Eric, who is the ‘original emu’ of the years of study here, turns up in late autumn: that is, somehow, something happened, and Eric was separated from the chicks, not killed.

By summer next year, if we have no sighting, I’ll be convinced, though, that he is dead.

Now, there is a lighter side: ‘Limpy Chick’ is a little better, looks good to survive. The other should also be okay. The chicks ‘adopted’ Number One, a female, and there is hilarity there. Number One enthusiastically pecked the chicks on the head for days, and then just gave up, and accepted that she is their new daddy.


And today is a classic 'Autumn Emu Day': the eight chicks are here. Number One 'commands' the clearing. The fabulous dark female is here. And so is a wild breeding-pair. You guys can turn up here anytime you like, with a sleeping bag and binos, and sit for weeks on the bench in the garden, watching wild emus interact.

S.E.

I'm very sorry to hear that

. I knew it had been a while since you posted about Eric but I didn't put 2 and 2 together. I know you had mentioned Number One having chicks, which I thought was odd since she is a female....
I'm glad she has adopted the brood and that there are still 8 amazing chicks left. The more time I spend with Daryl the more I fall in love with these beautiful creatures. I'm now in the market for a mate for Daryl. Not for any other reason other than companionship. Daryl is content with his chickens and Riddick the dog but I think he should be around his own kind. Going outside to take some pictures now.

Michelle