2012 Chicks Day 5

The Silver-laced Wyandottes are lagging behind. They are the ones that look almost like little skunks - black with two white stripes down their backs. You can clearly see one at the beginning and both at the end of the following video. Notice how small they are compared to the others. And look how much longer their wings look compared to their little bodies.

Crabtree Plantation - Revisited

Last November, I blogged about the Crabtree Plantation and the 18th century house nearby.

Today, M noticed a  rezoning sign in front of the property. A little Googling brought me to a NEW REPORT dated February 10 and produced by the Raleigh Historic Planning Commission.

The good news is there is all kinds of information about the house in the report, including old photos, newspaper clippings, and the National  Register nomination. The bad news might  be that something may be about to happen to that piece of property.

Stay tuned.

2012 Chicks Day 4

Notice the little wing feathers starting to appear.

2012 Chicks Day 3

2012 Chicks Day 2

Having a little drink  and checking out the camera.

New Critters!

Made a trip to the Pittsboro Feed Store today and picked up these little ladies.

We have two each of the following:

 Welsummers are a very popular but rare breed that originated in Holland in the early 1900s and was first presented for show around 1922. Welsummers are known best for the eggs they lay, which are a beautiful dark cocoa brown. Although they are good egg layers, they are considered a non-sitting breed. They are good foragers, so they tend to consume less feed than other breeds.

Cuckoo Marans were developed in Marans, France during the mid 1800s. Although they are considered a very rare breed, they are extremely popular in the United States because of the beautiful dark brown eggs they lay. Cuckoo Marans look very similar to the Barred Plymouth Rock, with the exception of some subtle differences in the feather pattern.

Silver Laced Wyandottes appeared around the 1870s. They are very strong egg layers with most hens producing between 200 and 240 eggs annually. The rose comb of this breed makes it a better choice for colder climates, as the comb is less likely to freeze. The temperment of these birds is considered to be docile and friendly, doing very well in both free range or confined environments.

Stay tuned as we watch them grow and document their lives.

What was THAT???

Came home on Tuesday morning around 10:30 and, while looking out the back windows, saw a large gray critter run down from the railroad tracks, behind our shed, into the neighbors yard, and disappear behind the hedge. By the time I could get out for a closer look, it was gone.

This was an animal I had never seen before. It was larger than but about the same color as a gray house cat. It had a big bushy tail and ran in an undulating manner. I did a little Googling, and this is what I think I saw.

According to THIS ARTICLE, they are all over North Carolina.

FUR COAT ANYONE???

More Birds

It is a dull, gray morning, but our backyard is teaming with life:

slate colored juncos

white throated sparrows

Carolina wrens

tufted titmice

red bellied woodpeckers

downy woodpeckers

Carolina chickadees

towhees


brown thrashers

house finches

white breasted nuthatches

brown headed nuthatches

cardinals

crows


mourning doves

Cedar Waxwings

It seems every time I see these great birds, it is cold or cloudy or snowy or rainy. Today was no exception. A flock descended on a neighbor's  holly tree.

The click-like chirping that you hear is coming from the cedar waxwings. The other sound is from a cardinal. I couldn't get very close or they would fly away. Here are a couple of pictures from online so you can have a better idea of what was going on.