Alaskan's Journal

Warm weather is nice... and I miss it...

But with warm weather you get more people.

And more people you DON'T miss!

Extra ordinarily true!!!

You invisible people are swell. Real people though....

goatgurl said:

really enjoying your pictures Al. the moose in the duck pond is wonderful. and your miracle aspen is such a beautiful color. took a look the chicken houses. look good. thank heaven I live in a warmer part of the world and my chickens and ducks wander around all winter in and out of their little house as they want.

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Oh... and thanks!

Sorry... forgot my manners.

Alaskan said:

Terribly fuzzy... I am too old to get close enough for a good shot... no way can I outrun a moose... or dodge... at my age...

But cool...

A moose in my pond with my ducks.

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Moose in your pond? That's so cool!

RollingAcres said:

Moose in your pond? That's so cool!

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Thanks! And yep, I like it too.

Well. ....

Last night was a late night.. heard the oddest sound. I kept listening, it kept repeating. I was very slightly reminiscent of a dying chicken.

So I went out with kids 2 and 3 and looked about. Kid 3 saw "something large fly off".

But we saw no harm done.

Some of my free range cockerels were sleeping in stupid spots... and a few of my mostly grown girl muscovy were too!

We went back inside... thought things through for a bit. Pulled up my birding app on my iPad and found that sound we ad heard. A juvenile great horned owl! We had also heard an adult great horned sound off once while we were out.

Anyway... I sent the boys back out, they rounded up my precious female muscovy and locked them up.

I think it is time to rethink duck housing. I have 2 older gimpy males, that my 2 main males will not allow into the duck coop.

I have to decide to make a second coop for the gimps, or eat them. I am not about to make those 2 old males fight off a great horned owl.

A juvenile great horned owl, that's cool! Not cool for your ducks and cockerels.
We hear owls hooting all the time, sometimes really close (like right next to) to the house but never lucky enough to see one.

begs the question.........................
Is there a Terrible Horned Owl, a Good Horned Owl or a Not-So-Great Horned Owl?

greybeard said:

begs the question.........................
Is there a Terrible Horned Owl, a Good Horned Owl or a Not-So-Great Horned Owl?

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That would be discrimination...now the owls would have to find their "safe space"....