Diary walks each month

I am doing monthly walks around our place to keep track of changes - monthly, seasonally and annually.

this month we received new ducks - 3 girls to add to the 1 girl and 3 drakes. the drakes are getting angsty as spring is approaching ... we must move two drakes out of the pen as they are fighting regularly. (i lose it in this video!)

we may need to move the third drake too as he is very big compared to the new very small call ducks that have arrived. and within a day 'mini' (the apricot callduck) laid our first egg and has been laying each day. so sweet.

check out our youtube channel and the playlists which feature various aspects of artist lifestyle in country Tasmania.

i am googling and finding suppliers of oyster grit, pea pebbles, pellets and i soon learned (from taking note) they ate the candy (rolled oats, cracked corn, wheat) and ignored the pellets which are more nutritious. so now i feed only pellets and use the candy as a training tool - a small handful each evening as i plan to have them free range at some stage.

so much to learn about looking after ducks !

Comments

Spring joy is fast becoming the most stressful time of year

Normally we would not see the daily machinations of the native hens (turbo chooks) that live with us however, we have a pair of turbo chooks that have set up house on our front lawn - they have been there for 3 years and have not yet grown their babies to adulthood. Its fast becoming the most stressful time of the year for us. This poor little bundle was picked up by a goshawk, turbo chook mum and i went hollering across the hill and the hawk dropped the chick. If it were not for the talons i wonder if the chick would have survived. She is now buried under a shrub. This little one (above) was part of 6 day old chicks and as of today we are down to 4with one that is hopping having hurt a leg. Today has been the most stressful as goshawks have come and gone and now a crow has noticed the little one that is not walking well. Mum has chased it away twice and it is just upsetting to think of the battle these little ones endure daily. a short v...

When Endangered is right in front of you

This beauty was found on my office bench one morning this week. So intact, so beautiful. A bit of googling established it is a Bogong Moth. My studio and office is a giant shed so i find critters around from time to time and watch a spider in her webs, around my window overlooking the paddock, catch and wrap flies. I n googling i discovered the Bogong Moth is endangered and recorded my sighting on a website dedicated to tracking these amazing creatures . They aim to support Bogong Moth research, and promote Moth Tracker. Common name: Bogong moth Aboriginal name: The name Bogong is apparently derived from the language of the Dhudhuroa Nation of North Eastern Victoria. Scientific name: Agrotis infusa Population: Declining Conservation status: Endangered Bogong moths also provide critical food for the critically endangered Mountain pygmy possum, lizards, antechinus (broad-toothed rat) and spiders across the Snowy Mountain region....

a surprise winter flowering

On a walk across the paddock yesterday I found this plant flowering by the creek. and today it looked like this ! so pretty. This is called fatsia Japonica and is best suited to outdoor growth. I purchased one last year and have it indoors - it grew so well that i had extras come up in the pot and this one is outdoors growing beautifully by the creek. The flowers were such a nice surprise - the one indoors is leafy and large-ish but nothing like this one outdoors. Things I learned from Google today. The name. fatsia Japonica . It is better suited outdoors than indoors - i am now planning where to plant the indoor one once we get into spring. The location i put the one outdoors is perfect for it - shady with some sun. it flowers in autumn (although we are winter here just now) and berries will follow ! great. so good for the birds. it will grow 6-10 feet both in height and width! how fabulous and apparently the new shoots may get eaten but the older ones ar...

Regent Park Tasmania - lifestyle of artist in country Tasmania

Search This Blog