Winter hits hard
Finally, winter has arrived. As harsh and cold as it is, the ground really does need to harden up and allow the ground water to freeze in order to ward off any bacteria and disease from 2011. The birds are dealling with it really rather well, and we have been depositing straw around the grounds to make roosting and loafing more comfortable.
Orinoco geese are very delicate birds. These dainty little Sheldgeese have been known to keel over as a result of a loud bang or crack of thunder, so it is very important to give them no excuse to suffer from the cold. These guys have been placed in one of the breeding pens in the duckery with a veritable mountain of straw. With temperatures plummeting to -8.5 degrees on thursday night, they really did appreciate it. Native to Southern American forests, this remarkable goose would normally nest in the bowls of trees and rummage in the leaf litter on their long legs. Although the Severn Valley may not suit them down to the ground, they're doing just fine...
These cheeky little monkeys are Lucifer (the Magpie goose) and George (the Nene) two particularly silly geese who have ganged up against the winter in a kind of "2 men against the world" kind of behaviour... Hand reared and donated to us by a member, George is very pleased to have company; even if it is not his own species. Lucifer on the other handis a Magpie goose and it is his true nature to accrue around him a group of lady Magpies which he can call his own. As a single surplus male, he too is glad ofthe company on cold nights!
This stunning male Magellan goose dubbed "Mr. Goose" is also a stonking character, who marauds the field in all his thrusting glory. In a near permanent state of semi display, there cannot be a goose left in doubt of his credentials or confidence. With stunning wide bar feathers and plain chest his CV says to me Greater, but those tiny legs aren't quite right... Runty or not, he hasby far the most character and keeps me entertained nearly every day :)
This sight however, is the bane of our Avicultural existence. The persistence of the black headed gull is legendary! However their pallets do require something above the plain ordinary. Prefering our expensive feeds to plain wheat, I try to put them off as much as possible by just providing the plain stuff... You may see staff with flags and buckets over the coming weeks, waving until our arms fall off. All in the name of Slimbridge...
