Feathered Friends

The birds are back. Yesterday the yard was full of mourning doves and turtle doves. One really cool bird showed up, a Carolina wren. Did you know they eat flies? Well, they do. I have some limbs hanging under the porch roof and they were covered with cold flies. Not any more. After he ate for a minute or two he left and then returned with the Mrs. I have found with my bird feeders it‘s the same as when you have guest over and offer them a place to sit. The more places to sit, the more birds hang out. These limbs have increased the number of birds coming up to the window and hanging out during storms. We may not live under the trees, but sitting on our couch and looking out the window you would sure think we do. Today we have had blue jays, mocking birds, doves, sparrows, finches (purple & gold), tufted titmice, black-capped chickadees, cardinals, red-shouldered hawk (saw him yesterday). I have three feeders on the porch, one with sunflower seeds, one hanging house type with mixed seed, and one cylinder with mixed seed. The chickadees and titmice eat just sunflower seeds. I grew some for them this year, but they are almost gone. I plan on growing a bunch this next year. The finches come up and eat from all three and the sparrows eat just the mixed seed. Speaking of sparrows, there are more varieties than you can shake a stick at.
Back last spring a man showed up with a rooster in dire need of a home. He explained that if he didn’t find a home he would be slaughtered that day so I took the rooster. Within two days he had left and went back home about 2 miles away. They brought him back with a hen, she stayed but he left again. They brought him back in a cage which I left him in for 8 days. As soon as he got out, away he went. They brought him back and I kept him in the cage till I found him a home far away. So there I was with a hen and no rooster. It was a Sunday morning when low and behold a rooster came walking down the highway. I couldn’t believe it when I looked out about 7am and here he came. I went out and opened the gate and in he came. Come to find out he was homeless. His owner had moved several months before but couldn’t catch him before he left. Leroy, the rooster, has been here ever since and is happy to be here (unlike the previous one). You see, we were a step sown for the first rooster but a big step up for Leroy. I forgot to mention what had happened to make someone think I would even be interested in a rooster. Tyson trucks go by here quite often and one day a chicken fell off. I called her chick-chick, she grew and grew but was all alone; till the first rooster. Eventually she was obviously a he and had to go because Leroy was here by then. I call the first hen Jr. because she is a bannie and looked so small next to chick-chick. Jr. and Leroy became parents to 7 chicks which needed a home. They were born the end of June and have been away but today came back. Their owner is working out of town so I’m chicken sitting. She is also going to be bring 3 turkeys, 2 white and one bronze. The bronze is fat but the white ones may try to leave. I don’t have a chicken house, Leroy and Jr. roost in the big cedars. The chicks are in a pen on the ground, and the turkeys will just roam the yard. At least it is a big fenced yard. The next few days should be entertaining.