Look Wut I Got! (Scroller and Photo)

[monstersinthedungeon]

This is Screech.

For the last couple of months we've had a very diligent Tawny Frogmouth pair sitting on their nest close to the house.  We've watched with anticipation and were finally rewarded by seeing a little bundle of fluff popping his head out of the nest.

Then last weekend - DRAMA - I walked outside to see a massive monitor making his way towards the Tawny tree.  Screamed at hubby to come and help, we tried to avert disaster, but the monitor was way too fast for us and scaled the tree.  

Mumma Tawny was very panicked, as the monitor came closer to the nest she flew off into a nearby tree.  She gave me a look of absolute desperation HELP ME! (yes, she did!) but the nest/monitor were way too high for us to do anything.  Hubby tried to throw things at the monitor, but I stopped him as the monitor's life is no less precious than the chicks - I didn't want to see the monitor get toppled out of the tree and hurt or killed.  Plus hubby damn near hit my car with a rock. ;\

I put some eggs around the base of the tree so the monitor could see them, in a vain attempt to lure him away from the chick.  We had to go out briefly, so wished the Tawnys good luck.  Alas, when we came back, the nest was empty :_|

Went about our afternoon chores when suddenly I spotted baby Tawny!  Sitting on the ground next to the tractor.  We dropped everything, made him a makeshift nest and put it up in the tree, then caught him and put him in the nest.  We saw Mumma and Pappa Tawny watching nearby.

Cut down a long story, Bubba kept jumping out of his nest over the next three days and Mumma and Pappa abandoned him, so the decision was made to bring him inside to keep him safe from both the monitors and our dogs. (our four young ones would kill him). 

He will be released as soon as he can fly properly and learn to catch his own bugs (I am catching them for him at the moment).  He's all puffed up and hating me in the photo, that's a good thing, we don't want him imprinting on us. He's feeding really well though (I hate you, I hate you, yum, yum, more please, I still hate you). 

[sandypas]

As an animal lover, I thoroughly enjoy this thread.  Best thread around.  Keep it up please.

[the_great_she_elephant]

The pigs are pets and will never be eaten. Poppy in particular is full of character, she's very pushy, but very affectionate (they both love cuddles and Poppy gives me kisses on the cheek, very gently).

That is so sweet, Monsters. My brother and SIL had a small property, but they were far more pragmatic. They acquired two piglets which they called Sweet and Sour, and two poddy calves named Wellington and Dianne. No sentiment there I fear. Wellington kept jumping the fence and escaping - I think he suspected something.

[monstersinthedungeon]

Hi Screechers! :-x

Debra, Ulysses thinks he's quite beautiful too!  In breeding season when he's got his train he will display to just about anything; the "laydees", me, my husband, the turkeys, a watering can....

Annie, not quite sure what you mean by photographing in a different spectrum - something I'm sure my useless camera couldn't contemplate, but interesting you say that about the birds being able to see different spectrums.  A book I read not long ago about birds said that scientists suspect that birds see colours that we can't even begin to imagine.

Soul Art, what a lovely post, thank you! When you mentioned about me not being 100% healthy, my first thought was "Whatchoo talkin' 'bout Willis?" and then of course I realised I had mentioned somewhere here about my heart condition.  99% of the time I just completely ignore it and absolutely refuse to let it stop me doing anything, with the exception of it being a convenient excuse to not go on any of the terrifying rides at theme parks :^O. Which incidentally I loved during my youth, but have become wussier and wussier as time progresses.

Sandypas, thank you for such lovely words. I try not to post on here too often, because I was a little worried I would be boring everyone.

[serendipityricho]

Hi Monsters -its a ripper thread.

Keep posting whats happening at your place.

Would advise newbies and lurkers to read from the start

if they have time........................Richo.

[monstersinthedungeon]

She Ele, the pigs are pets, but our calves are (theoretically) not. They are named Teeth, T-bone, Angus and :8} Baby.  Okay, Baby is probably not going to get eaten. :^O

He was originally called Pumpkin, but he was very, very ill as a calf and I fought really hard to bring him through it. I had to learn to give muscular injections so I could inject him each day with meds. I sat in the paddock with his head in my lap for hours dripping milk into his mouth and soothing him; "it's all right Baby, come on Baby" and the name stuck. So yeah, quite possibly he's never gunna be fillet steak :^O

The new calves I have not named at all. Oh, except for Goldilocks, who is my favourite (so named because his milk has to be EXACTLY right; right temp, right bucket, etc or he won't drink). He gives me kisses and is very affectionate. Should make a good buddy for Baby :8}

I say theoretically they're not pets, because we haven't actually had to slaughter anyone yet. But we went into it knowing that's what they were here for. It was very hard for me to come to that decision, I put a lot of thought into it, but decided that as hard as it will be at the time, I know that these animals have had the best lives possible compared to most cattle; i.e., the beef I currently buy from the supermarket.

They are pampered ridiculously - we built a stable in the paddock just for them and bring them into it every night (and feed them a yummy mash) so we don't have to worry about them standing in a paddock in the cold, wind or rain.

Both my husband and my mother argued with me that all cows stand in the paddock in all weather. I told them I didn't care, I couldn't bear the thought of anyone on the property not being warm and dry. (Unfortunately of course, I failed that with Screech, but there's nothing I can do about him, it's the trade-off for him being a free bird.)

So time will tell if I can actually go through with it. I reckon I can, but will have to go out for the day and leave my husband and the butcher to it. At least they will have had a pretty good life before they become steak. And if not, then at least I don't have to mow the paddocks :^O

[soul_art]

I'm having a giggle to myself about eating the poddies, monsters!

At our last place, I use to "baby sit" the neighbours poddy, give him molasses everyday sweet potatoes whatever was around.  He would come running from wherever he was when I called out " MOO" (yeah I know lame name for a cow).  My cat nortibella and moo fell in love. bella would sit on the fence post and moo would blow air over her LOL

When Moo disappeared, I could only eat the veg and salad at the bbq's next door 😞  The neighbours where long time farmers and thought I was crazy!!  So I will understand if you turn vegetarian!!

[monstersinthedungeon]

Hiya Richo, thank you :-x

And a couple of photos of Squiddy Wiggles in his jimjams:

He's so hard to get a decent photo of, he doesn't stay still unless he's asleep. The second photo he has a very worried look on his face; he was investigating something on the ground and I made a strange noise so he would look at me. He always looks so worried/sad in his photos, but he's quite the opposite.

And I can report that Screech knows his name. It has been raining here for most of the day, rushed around this evening feeding and watering everyone, then came out with Screech's food. He either waits for me in his tree and flies down to the fence when I tap on it, or waits on top of the trellis and I climb up the ladder.

Well tonight, even though I was on time for dinner, no waiting Screech. So I called him, just twice and then had the pleasure of watching him swoop through the trees from a good 200metres away, straight to the fence right in front of me. It was lovely to watch him flying, he has become very skilled.

[tasfleur]

Never never never never even think that what goes on at Monster's farmyard would bore anyone Monsters:  you are a breath of fresh air and bring happiness to everyone who comes here, I'm sure of that ....  :-x

Ulysses is gorgeous, he looks like he was sent from out of the clouds, he is breathlessly stunning.

I'm glad you look after the animals so wonderfully Monsters, I'd do the same thing;  well actually, we've spoiled our two cats to the point where it's a toss up as to who is running the house, don't believe it is us ...  :^O

[tasfleur]

Oh look at Squiddy, we must have been posting at the same time ....  :^O   He really does look like a canine version of Einstein with that inbuilt look doesn't he?  Back later ...  ]:)

[monstersinthedungeon]

Soul Art, that's so sweet about the cat and the calf falling in love! It amazes me different species having such lovely relationships (could teach us humans a thing or two). Can absolutely understand you not wanting to eat at the neighbour's next BBQ!

I'm afraid I enjoy my meat too much to become a vegetarian - I really wish I could (and so admire those who have such conviction), but I would miss it very badly. Also I'm just too lazy a cook to be able to provide myself with a healthy vegetarian diet. I was becoming very lethargic a couple of months ago and it suddenly dawned on me I hadn't eaten any red meat for a good couple of weeks; ate lamb a couple of nights in a row and felt good as gold. I don't eat meat every night, but couldn't go without it totally.

Also I have to be realistic; all the dogs and cats eat meat, so much cheaper and healthier for us to produce our own for them.

I remember friends of ours who used to own a farm and they used to swap their chooks and cattle with the neighbours; that way they weren't eating their own animals.

We are going to have the cattle home-killed, I made that decision so that they won't have to be stressed being transported and in an abattoir, so am doing all I can to ensure as nice a life and as quick and humane a death as is humanly possible. I bet I'm still gunna cry though 😞