An Amazing Bird...

........ in Australia. You won't believe all the sounds he can make!  

                                                              

Lyrebirds are found along the coast of Australia. They also live in Tasmania, and love dampened forests or wetlands, which are hard to traverse.

They are superb at imitating other birds and in many cases can fool even the most experienced bird watcher with the many bird cries they can imitate, so that they think they are hearing an entirely different bird.

Lyrebirds eat from the ground, using their claws to rake over the leaves and soil searching for worms, any insects and sometimes invertebrates’ snails and other small ground creatures.

They have very long claws and strong feet and legs which aid them in the task of looking for food.

One very interesting thing about the Lyrebird is the way they court their mates.

Lyre Bird

The Male Lyrebird will build a tall mount of grass and dirt, which he will them climb and stand on. He spreads his tail feathers straight up and over his head, which being shaped like the musical instrument for which the bird is named, look like a lyre.

The only time he will spread his tail is for mating rituals.

While he is doing this, he will mimic the sounds of other birds and sing songs as he moves in circles dancing to attract the female.

Once a female is interested, they will breed anytime from May to August.

Male Lyrebirds may have more than one mate at any given time.

The female Lyrebird then weaves the nest and lays one brown spotted egg.

No assistance is given in either nesting or in rearing the young by the male bird.

The single egg takes about 6 weeks to hatch and the new baby chick is covered in snow white down.

He will stay in the nest for about ten weeks before flying off on his own.

Awwww.... Rescued hens!

These are called 'battery hens'. This is what most hens look like at egg producing farms. They are kept in cages their entire lives and then at about a year and a half old, they are sold for slaughter.

The three hens here are lucky; they were rescued before that happened.

Chickens make wonderful pets but they do need care just like any other animal. All have different personalties and that's what makes them so special!

                                                                               

                                

                               

Just in time for dinner....

Enjoy!  :0)

                                                                              

Today's funny :0)

                                                                           

                                           




                

Is there something in that egg?

 If you want to have the thrill of watching your hens hatch eggs, there are some things you should know if you want a bunch of fuzz balls running around!

 First, a short video on what you will see when you candle an egg.:

I didn't use this method when Amos, Andy, Goldie and Charlie were just eggs. If I had, I would have known the two other eggs were not fertile. Maybe, and that's a BIG maybe, if I ever decide to hatch chicks again, I will candle the eggs. A lot of time can be saved wondering if  any are not fertilized. A dark room using a simple flashlight will work fine.
 A bunch of chicks that grow up together will get along much better than if you try to introduce new chicks to an established flock.  (Now how would I know that)???


Here's the chart on what you could see:                                                     

                                                          
You could spend a fortune on incubator and candling equipment, but sometimes the simple, natural way using a broody hen is the best way for most of us backyard chicken lovers.
                                                         
                                                                           

Steam Powered....

                                                             ............  Clock!

             

Steam Clock, Gastown

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The Gastown Steam Clock in the Fall months is both a source of heat due to its mechanisms as well as a popular tourist attraction.

Built in 1977, the Gastown Steam Clock located in Vancouver, B.C., is a popular tourist attraction. Although its surroundings are impressive enough, this clock is one of the few rare fully functional Steam powered clocks in the world. Every hour on the hour the Clock will play the Westminster tune "Big Ben" and let out an amazing show of steam. Working both day and night, an opportunity to watch this Steam Clock in action is always avaliable.

The Gastown Steam Clock was built in 1977 and a more recent addition to the historic Gastown, the clock was funded by merchants and local property owners to mimic some of the world's first steam powered clocks. It runs on a steam engine which can be seen from the amount of steam released from the top of the clock. Only a few of these fully functional clocks still exist, making this particular clock a rare sight.
This clock added to the prestige of the neighbourhood which suffered through the 1960's as it housed a significant portion of homeless living in the city of Vancouver and was rehabilitated in the 1970's. This story is recounted on a plaque found as the bottom of the Steam clock.
At each hour, on the hour, a fantastic blast of steam and a series of chimes, a familiar tune borrowed from the Westminster chimes "Big Ben", mark the passing of another hour in this historic little town. Many people gather at the clock's location and wait for the chimes and accompanying whistles which follow.

Visitors to Gastown can clearly identify the location of this handcrafted clock as steam is continuously released throughout the day as well as its distinctive chimes on the quarter hour (short) and the hour (full chimes)

Read more: Steam Clock http://www.venturevancouver.com/steam-clock-gastown-vancouver#ixzz2cjvmV6rg
                                               

Today's funny :0)