- Nov 9, 2013
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I have a bit of Net:
Whee!!!! Supreme Emu is in town!
Wonderful wonderful winter. Eric the Emu is sitting on eggs, but I can't find him. I assume he is sitting on eggs because he and Mrs. Eric were here together until mid-winter, then he disappeared.
Otherwise, a flock of six wild birds has taken up residence. For three weeks now, there have been at least eight birds here each day:
Number One, one of the original three chicks I tamed, returned about six weeks ago.
Mrs. Eric is here, waiting for her eggs to hatch.
The flock has two discernible breeding-pairs. They pretty much command the south west corner of the clearing -- away from the house. Number One bullies Mrs. Eric around the other part of the clearing.
Just a few days ago, though, one of the females began strutting about in the middle. Readers, she is a magnificent bird: big; flares and walks sideways; sassy.
Update: gonna call her Mrs Magnificent. You would all thrill to see her. She booms and flares and struts about just to let every emu within a mile know who is in charge. They all become really very interested in the grass in front of their noses. Her consort seems small -- ??
Number One loves to shunt Mrs. Eric about, but she doesn't get in this female's way.
There are now four females in play here -- I can here them booming as I type.
Next: last month I was down by the meadow one afternoon. When I heard wild emus talking, I sat down -- it was cool and moist, and my eyes were okay. After about twenty minutes, a breeding-pair drifted into the gums near me; and, over about fifteen minutes, skirted my position. They came wonderfully close, vocalising quietly to and fro.
Finally, in six years of listening, I have never had such a low-key symphony of vocalisations at night. About two hours before dawn, the (at least) eight birds roosting at various points around the house start vocalising.
Different females, readers, have quite discernible booms. Some emit 'single' booms in strings, some emit doubles. I suspect that more powerful birds emit longer strings -- bigger vocal sacs. (Felicity never more than ten. I have heard eighteen and twenty.) One bird here emits remarkably long strings of doubles. It's almost certainly the bird I mentioned above.
The best part, though, is that the males respond. When it's not really cold, I open the bedroom windows, and lie and listen. The birds talk back and forth until dawn.
Hello to all the old timers! I miss you so: Sheriff, Emu Hugger, K.B.
Supreme Emu, seventh winter here.
Whee!!!! Supreme Emu is in town!
Wonderful wonderful winter. Eric the Emu is sitting on eggs, but I can't find him. I assume he is sitting on eggs because he and Mrs. Eric were here together until mid-winter, then he disappeared.
Otherwise, a flock of six wild birds has taken up residence. For three weeks now, there have been at least eight birds here each day:
Number One, one of the original three chicks I tamed, returned about six weeks ago.
Mrs. Eric is here, waiting for her eggs to hatch.
The flock has two discernible breeding-pairs. They pretty much command the south west corner of the clearing -- away from the house. Number One bullies Mrs. Eric around the other part of the clearing.
Just a few days ago, though, one of the females began strutting about in the middle. Readers, she is a magnificent bird: big; flares and walks sideways; sassy.
Update: gonna call her Mrs Magnificent. You would all thrill to see her. She booms and flares and struts about just to let every emu within a mile know who is in charge. They all become really very interested in the grass in front of their noses. Her consort seems small -- ??
Number One loves to shunt Mrs. Eric about, but she doesn't get in this female's way.
There are now four females in play here -- I can here them booming as I type.
Next: last month I was down by the meadow one afternoon. When I heard wild emus talking, I sat down -- it was cool and moist, and my eyes were okay. After about twenty minutes, a breeding-pair drifted into the gums near me; and, over about fifteen minutes, skirted my position. They came wonderfully close, vocalising quietly to and fro.
Finally, in six years of listening, I have never had such a low-key symphony of vocalisations at night. About two hours before dawn, the (at least) eight birds roosting at various points around the house start vocalising.
Different females, readers, have quite discernible booms. Some emit 'single' booms in strings, some emit doubles. I suspect that more powerful birds emit longer strings -- bigger vocal sacs. (Felicity never more than ten. I have heard eighteen and twenty.) One bird here emits remarkably long strings of doubles. It's almost certainly the bird I mentioned above.
The best part, though, is that the males respond. When it's not really cold, I open the bedroom windows, and lie and listen. The birds talk back and forth until dawn.
Hello to all the old timers! I miss you so: Sheriff, Emu Hugger, K.B.
Supreme Emu, seventh winter here.
