DAY 30: JACK ATTACK!

JACK ATTACK!

What an awesome action shot.....one can almost hear the squawks of terror as the birds frantically try to escape their predator. I wonder if they all escaped or if the fox succeeded and ended up with some lunch?

 THE SLY FOX

Sly and slippery as an eel 

His true intentions he does conceal
The sly fox never likes to be caught
For others he never has a thought.

Never turn your back on him
Or the consequences could be grim
He is as cunning as they say
And your trust he will betray.

Always keep him within your sight
Especially in the dead of night
For that is when he does his deeds
When he makes his victims bleed.

 Watch him and study him well
Where he`ll strike you never can tell
Always try to be one step ahead
Then you can sleep soundly in

Elsie`s Poetry

DAY 29: FLAMINGOS AND WIMBLEDON!

You're probably wondering what these two (flamingos & Wimbledon) have in common..........I hoped you'd ask!  I've been watching a bit of the tennis at
Wimbledon this week and then came across this picture with all the heads facing in one direction.....sufficient explanation?  Yeah, just like all the heads turning to watching the ball going to and fro across the net, and then they all go 'aaaaaah'
at exactly the same time. Hahahaha, very funny!

But the flamingos in this pic have even more in common with the crowd watching at Wimbledon - when the sun actually does get round to shining, all those lil English people turn the same colour.  Now THAT'S funny, dontcha think?

DAY 28: THE PELICAN

I absolutely ADORE pelicans - my most favourite bird!  I don't know why, except they are so big and chunky, and full of character.  I would love to see them really close up.  

We have a large number of pelicans on the West Coast, and whenever we are out, I look out for them. They have 3 favourite spots, as far as I can tell,
but a lot depends on what the weather is doing. When the south-easter is blowing they seem to congregate at Rietvlei, on the side of Table View, & we
see them when we go through to Cape Town or to the library in Milnerton.
Then, they have a favourite spot on the way to Durbanville near the quarry area (for those who know this part of the world).  After all the heavy rain we've had, the whole area was flooded, much to the delight of the pellies.  Yesterday as we turned off the N7 to take the Conterman's Kloof road to Durbanville, we found a gazillion pellies!  It was awesome to see!  So THAT'S where they got to!  

Their third favourite spot is way out past Malmesbury where there is another vlei - they are of course waterbirds, so they migrate from vlei to vlei. 

The pelican is the subject of a popular limerick, originally composed by a guy called Dixon Lanier Merritt in 1910.....several others have come up with variations since then, but this is the original - for your entertainment!

A wonderful bird is the pelican
His bill will hold more than his bellican
He can take in his beak
food enough for a week
but I'm darned if I see how the hellican!

DAY 27: SWANS & PASSENGERS

I think the swan is possibly the most elegant of all birds.  The beautiful snowy feathers and long graceful neck have created a picture that many artists have worked hard to recreate. There are logos, associations, organizations, home décor and more, all inspired by their beauty.

The adult male is called a cob. He is both a devoted father and husband. He has been known to use a blow from the “knucklebone” of his wing to defend his family. His blow is said to be strong enough to break a man’s arm!

• The Mute Swan is perhaps the noisiest of all swans having eight different sounds in its repertoire
• Swans can fly as fast as 50 to 60 miles per hour.  Some have a wing span of 10 feet.
• 
  
• A baby swan or cygnet has a grey feathered coat until it reaches about 20 pounds. Then it too will become snowy white like its parents.  A baby swan pecks at the inside of the egg for 24 hours prior to making its entrance.
• 
  

• The female swan is referred to as a pen.  Their regal beauty is one of the reasons for the swan to be considered as a royal bird in England and all swans found in the open waters belong to the crown.

• A mother swan has a sound similar to a yipping puppy, which it uses to call the young to her.
• Swans are the largest known flying bird.  They are not known to attack humans without cause, and actually can remember humans that have been kind to them
• 
  
• They dine off of aquatic vegetation, insects, tiny fish and tadpoles. Because they are able to reach far below the water’s surface, they have actually broken plants apart and left them floating on the water which enables smaller birds to find ready food.
• 
  
• Their life expectancy in a protected environment is as long as 30 years.
• 
  
• Swans are another of the many marvels created by God. 
• They have inspired art, music, literature and dance.  
• 
  
• Read more: http://scienceray.com/biology/zoology/some-little-known-facts-about-swans/#ixzz2XRjRL600

DAY 26: THE HUMMINGBIRD

                                           

My cousin Bev Honeywill who lives in the USA,  put a link on my FaceBook page all about the Hummingbird.  For those interested you can see this fascinating clip by going to YouTube The Genius of Flight, The Hummingbird.

Here's a little poem I found that is very descriptive of this beautiful tiny bird:

 "The Hummingbird" by Simon Clark

Hummingbird:
Small,
Fast,
Beating wings,
Hovers,
Dashes,
Darts,
Pretty,
Clever,
True,
Cuts,
Darts,
Dashes,
Hovers,
Beating wings,
Fast,
Small:
Hummingbird.

DAY 25: PROUD PEACOCK

Peacock by Dean Crouser

Peacocks are probably the most beautiful and spectacular of all birds.  They are also very fascinating to watch, especially in mating season, as of course, the main purpose for their fabulous showy tail is to attract the birds (the female ones, of course!) What a sight it is when the display begins, accompanied by much strutting and shivering etc.  

Many years ago when our kids were quite young, we spent a holiday in Port Elizabeth.  The holiday home we stayed in faced onto a great big tree which was used by a large number of peacocks for roosting in at night.  It was most entertaining to watch them every night - you could set your watch by their punctuality - at exactly 7pm the peacock procession of at least 40 to 50 would arrive, all ages and sizes, and elegantly fly up into the branches to roost.

Oh, last point......a number of these creatures is very aptly and quaintly called A PARTY OF PEACOCKS!

DAY 24: MOMMA THE NESTBUILDER

                                                        

Do you see that focused look in her eyes?   She's on a serious mission.....nest building!

How does she know how to do it?.....The Creator equipped her with a blueprint in her brain, I guess.

Some of the things she will have to do now:

- find a suitable site near to food and water.

- somewhere safe from predators.

- gather about 350 bits of grass and twigs

- transport a few hundred beakfuls of mud

- after a few hundred trips to find all the above, line the nest with soft grass and hair.

After laying her eggs and rearing her young, she will have to pull apart the nest and start all over again because mites & lice etc. gather quickly and make an  old nest unsafe for new baby birds.

You've heard about a dog's life.....this is a bird's life!

DAY 23: TWO QUACKERS

By Francina Maria

Aw cute, aren't they?  But they are also quite clever and versatile....

For instance, they have 3 eyelids and can sleep with one eye open. They also can thrive in any climate as they have no nerves or blood vessels, so can waddle on ice, or swim in freezing water, or live in hot conditions.

What do you call a crate of ducks?   A box of quackers.
What do you call a clever duck?  A wise quacker.

Sorry about those corny jokes.

The last useless fact you need to know is that a whole lot of ducks is called.......
a brace.  Remember that for the next time you play Trivial Pursuit!

DAY 22: THE GENTLE DOVE

What a beautiful picture given to us in the Gospels of the Holy Spirit descending like a dove in bodily form upon Jesus as He came up out of the waters of baptism, to signify that the Father in heaven was well pleased with Him. It was a step of obedience that pleased God.

King David too was concerned with pleasing God as he wrote in Psalm 41:11: 'By this I know that You are well pleased with me because my enemy does not triumph over me.'

Day 21: PROMISE ME.....

The simplicity of childlike thinking, incorporating a very good promise to make.
But the attributes referred to by Christopher Robin are only realized when we are tested.

Have you ever been tested for bravery?  Not the 'cowboys don't cry' type, but
the dying to self type.  That takes bravery and a stiff upper lip!

How about the 'stronger than you seem' one?  Here again it's in the testing that we find out what we are made of.  I'm so grateful for my strong and mighty Saviour.  

Lastly, 'smarter than you think' - don't you just love smarty pants types?  
But we are called upon in life to use our brains - well, apparently most of us use less than 10% so there is lots of room for improvement.  

Promise yourself all three and you'll pass the tests....

DAY 20 of 365: DO 20 MAKE A FLOCK?

Do twenty birds make a flock? I would say yes.

Interesting that the term flock is a collective noun for 

not only birds but also for

 

  'SHEEPISH' by LESLIE TREWYN

And, to take it further, sheep is a term used for disciples of Jesus Christ;

He who alone is called the Good Shepherd of the sheep of His pasture.

The ones He knows and who know His voice.  

         I particularly love the words of Jesus in Luke 12:32:         

'Do not fear little flock, for it is the Father's good pleasure 

to give you the kingdom.'

DAY 19: THIRSTING FOR WATER

SO thirsty, so desperate for water, searching avidly until they find
a source, and then they gulp the water down, slaking their thirst.
Birds must have wonderfully strong eyesight, ever on the watch
for what they need to sustain life, detecting sources for food and water
and many other things.

May our eyes and senses be ever watchful for the Lord's provision for
us, able to detect His leading. May we be ever thirsty and hungry for more of Him and more of the great things he has stored up for those who love and
serve Him.  

DAY 18 OF 365: FREE FLIGHT!

What a wonderful feeling it must be for a bird, caged for years, to be set free from its lifetime behind bars.  Created to fly, to soar in the air with abandon,  yet confined to a cage, no matter how beautiful, to live a mundane lifeless existence.  But the day comes when the cage door is opened and off it goes to do what it was meant to do.

You know where I'm going with this, don't you!

No, I won't....................but will content myself with sharing a quotation            with you which John Maxwell found (and cleaned up) as I feel it says volumes:

"You shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free -
but first it will make you angry."

 

DAY 17: A FLAMBOYANCE OF FLAMINGOS

                                                    

Such a beautiful description for a gathering of these birds:  a flamboyance of flamingos.

They are ugly beautiful birds, really, but like all birds, extremely interesting when you look into their behavior and why they do what they do.  Like:

- They only lay one egg per year.
-  they are able to bend their long skinny legs backwards...that's because the joint you see in the leg
   is in fact the ankle!
-  Their pink coloring comes from the pigment in the food they eat.  What an exotic menu: prawns,
    shrimp, crustaceans like crabs, and then the not so appetizing algae and plankton.

We are fortunate to live on the Cape West Coast where for several months of the year we can see a great flamboyance of flamingo!  They are fond of the waters of Rietvlei and we've recently seen a lot of them in the Milnertoon lagoon area.

The Durban Bird Park is a great place to view them up close and personal.  You're in for a culture shock though because contrary to what you expect from such beautiful birds, they are extremely bad tempered & if you want to learn how to defend your patch of water, go to the flamingo for lessons!

DAY 16: MEET MR. HORNBILL

   
Painting by Larascouller

Meet the Ground Hornbill - not the most beautiful bird created, but a very different one, with an interesting air about him.  He walks quite majestically and unthreatened by spectators - we saw one in Kruger Park and followed him for quite a while to get to know him. He stands about 80cm tall, and the contrast between his black feathers and bright red accents around his eyes etc. is very striking.

During the time we lived in Kloof, KZN, we were fortunate to have regular visits from a pair of ordinary Hornbills, a smaller and lighter coloured version of this one.  They used to perch on a verandah chair and hammer at the glass sliding door with their strong beaks - we presumed that they were seeing their reflections in the glass and for some reason were pecking at them.

I put out some pieces of fruit for them and was fascinated to watch them daintily pick up the pieces with their long beaks and toss them up in the air and catch them to swallow.

DAY 15: ANGRY BIRDS

Yep, they're even used as nail art now; what next I ask myself?

Birds don't use their claws or talons in anger, but in order to secure their next meal.
Or to keep a grip on life.....oh no, that's us....they keep a grip on the branch they're balancing on.
Or to tear up their prey so they can swallow it.

On the other hand, human beings (women) are using their claws or talons, you guessed it,
for display purposes, for appearance or vanity.

DAY 14: TWEETY RULES, OK?

This drawing of Tweety by digidude90, inspired today's post.

Tweety requires no introduction, I'm sure......the clever streetwise canary who regularly outsmarts
Sylvester, the big old' puddy tat!  But did you know that he was conceived in about 1942, so although he doesn't look it, he's older than me!!

Sylvester has NEVER been able to catch our little hero, who lives under the sometimes protection of a pretty birdcage in granny's house. That doesn't stop him from trying, but rest assured, Tweety will be around for a long long time.  Long live Tweety!

DAY 13: CALLING MR. OWL!

Having just returned from a week in Hermanus at the Fynarts Festival, the first thing I did was to check whether our owl had arrived yet to take up residence in the owl box.  I'm sorry to say the answer is no.....but I' m not giving up hope as its early days yet!

Apparently two types of owl are endemic to the Cape West Coast, where we live:
The SPOTTED EAGLE OWL (pictured above in a watercolour by Dean Crouser)  and  the BARN OWL.

Either are welcome to move in!  

Apparently this time of year is their breeding season, so if we don't get favoured this year, by next year this time there will be some broody owls looking for a place to lay & hatch their eggs.  Hope springs eternal.....

DAY 12: THE KINGFISHER

The great thing about the kingfisher is not how beautiful it is, nor that it is a very romantic bird -it apparently gives a very dramatic courtship display to impress its potential mate - no, there is something far more interesting about the kingfisher.....

It is related to the Australian KOOKABURRA, which is quite a character with quite a noisy personality.  The noises it makes include a laughing call, a quiet chuckle and a harsh kekkekkek sound.  But the fame of the kookaburra has been established by the following lyrics to a song about it:

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
Merry merry king of the bush is he
Laugh, kookaburra, laugh!
What a happy life you lead.

DAY 11: FIVE LITTLE BIRDS

Someone painted these five little birds in an unusual way.  One would normally see five SIMILAR birdies hanging out together, but these are all different in colour and type.  A good demonstration of unity in diversity.

'Has it occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other?  They are of one accord by being tuned not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers meeting together, each looking to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become 'unity' conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.'. A.W. TOZER, The Pursuit of God.

DAY 10: BIRD VERSUS ANT

Today's message from bird life was inspired by my Facebook friend, Sally, who put up a post recently:

'When a bird is alive it eats ants. When it dies it is eaten by ants! Time and circumstance can change at any time, so never devalue or hurt anyone in life. You may be powerful today, but remember that  time is more powerful than you.  One tree can make a million matchsticks, but when the time comes, only one matchstick is needed to burn down a million trees. Encourage one another today with acts of kindness rather than evil. What you sow you will reap.'

DAY 9: POOR PUFFIN!

Some jokes are told back to front...this is one of them!  So....which bird loses its breath very quickly?Yes, you guessed it...the Puffin!

This is a really cute and unusual bird that we don't see in our country. My friend Linda was recently holidaying in Scotland and put a photo on Facebook of one. It obviously is designed for the much colder climates, and is a sea bird - in fact it is sometimes referred to as a sea parrot.

There are several interesting facts about Puffins, but I'm going to just give you one useless one:

Dear old Gordon Ramsay recently 'air fished' in Iceland and caught some Puffins, which he killed. He then used them in a cookery demonstration on his TV program in the UK. There was a public outcry....but after an investigation it was discovered that in Iceland this is accepted and common practice; Puffins are a source of food, especially their hearts, which are regarded as a delicacy.

Anyone fancy roast Puffin legs for dinner? 

DAY 8: EAGLES RULE!

We're spending a week at Hermanus for the Hermanus Fynarts Festival, all about art, music, sculpture, books, and lots of culture vultures are here to soak it all up (VULTURE: yet another bird!)

The only live birds I've seen here so far are seagulls, but there is a lot of art featuring EAGLES,  which are awesome in every way.  Today we visited one gallery where the artist/owner showed us some beautiful collages (which is art with more than just paint - adding all sorts of found objects).

She had added bits of bone, bits of wood, hessian, you name it - and what a wonderful eagle painting she produced. 

Seeing all this great stuff gives one itchy fingers to get creating, but I brought along my sketchbook plus some watercolor pencils, so am looking forward to doing something other than gaze in admiration at the work of the artists exhibiting here.  

The eagle painting here reminds me of what the bible says about the eagle - how it breaks up the nest when the eaglets reach a certain stage of development and mama and papa think its time for them to make a move.  Poor little guys are shoved out into the big wide world, but that's life!

DAY 7CROSSPATCH OSTRICH

A group of ostriches:  can be a PRIDE, or a FLOCK, or ( I like this one the best)  a WOBBLE!

They are very interesting flightless birds - that term is often used in crossword puzzles.
There are some rather lovely facts about ostriches: ie. 
- They are graceful dancers.
- Their feathers make very beautiful dusters!
- They lay enormous eggs up to 20cm in diameter & have been known to lay over 10 eggs.

On the negative side:
-  they have vicious beaks
-  you wouldn't want to stop a kick from their two-toed feet.
-  unfortunately they are plain stupid!

DAY 6 (ONLY 359 TO GO) INTERESTING/USELESS BIRD INFO

You've probably heard the expression 'Eat like a bird.'
But did you know that birds actually eat twice their own weight per day!
Need to change that one.

Other useless info about our fine feathered friends:
When you group some birds together, this is what you get:

An exaltation of larks ...... Hallelujah
A peep of chickens ...... Should be cheep
A gaggle of geese ....... Probably due to nausea
A murder of ravens ...... This one kills me
A parliament of owls ...... Let's discuss it.

We're hoping for at least one politician for our owl house!

DAY 5 OF 365 DAY CHALLENGE: PUTTING ALL YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET

QUESTION:  A basket has 6 eggs in it. 6 people come along and each takes an egg, but there is still one egg left in the basket.
Think about this..... the answer will be at the end of this rant.

So, everyone has heard that old saying: "don't put all your eggs in one basket" - in other words, spread the risk, but along came the likes of Mark Twain (who, you ask.....Google him) who embroidered on this -
"Put all your eggs in one basket, and then watch that basket." 

Here are a few more thoughts on this logic......Why put all your eggs in one basket:
- because you want to.
- because you can
- because you like to live dangerously
- because no one else is doing it
- because everyone else is doing it

The answer to the question we began with:

The last person took the egg along with the basket, so one egg remained in the basket

DAY 4: IS A GANNET A BIRD, OR WHAT?

A few years ago, we visited Lambert's Bay, about a 2hour drive from Cape Town, up the West Coast.  There we found a colony of Gannets, and we took some photos, from which I produced the above watercolour painting.  You'd think my husband would appreciate my efforts, but he has hung the painting in the garage!  Who hangs paintings in their garage? Frank Scott does!!  Don't ask, oi vei!

But the point of this is that whilst a Gannet is a bird, as you can see, and a very busy hectic type of bird - a colony of them are almost too much for the senses to take in as they fight like crazy and live in a very clumped together colony - the word is also used for certain people!  Read on if you dare!

Here's a definition I found: 
Their supposed capacity for eating large quantities of fish has led to the word 'gannet' becoming a disapproving description of somebody who eats excessively, similar to 'glutton.'   It refers to those who steadily eat vast quantities of food, especially at public functions!

Now the question is: 
Do YOU know anyone like that!  
More importantly, are YOU one?
Don't you just love the public functions part!  
Just think about it!
What a picture THAT paints!  
Apologies, people!
Peace, people!
Love, people! 

DAY 3 CHICKENS

Aren't dreams strange?  The weirdest things happen in dreams but
seem perfectly normal at the time.  I found the following poem
which perfectly describes this oddity- hope you enjoy it!
(I didn't dream it - I just like it.....my dreams are a LOT 
weirder, I promise you!)


Last night I dreamed of chickens,
There were chickens everywhere
they were standing on my stomach
They were nesting in my hair.
They were pecking at my pillow
They were hopping on my head
They were ruffling up their feathers
as they raced around my bed
They were on the chairs and tables
They were on the chandeliers
They were roosting in the corners
They were clucking in my ears
There were chickens, chickens chickens
For as far as I could see.
When I woke up this morning I noticed
There were eggs on top of me

By Jack Prelutsky

“Funky Chickens,” Rob Scotton

March 9, 2013

Last night I dreamed of chickens,
there were chickens everywhere,
they were standing on my stomach,
they were nesting in my hair,
they were pecking at my pillow,
they were hopping on my head,
they were ruffling up their feathers
as they raced about my bed.

They were on the chairs and tables,

they were on the chandeliers,
they were roosting in the corners,
they were clucking in my ears,
there were chickens, chickens, chickens

for as far as I could see …

when I woke up today, I noticed

there were eggs on top of me.

Jack Prelutsky

Tags: chickens, dreams, eggs, jack prelutsky, poetry