Flying Fowl

Our birds are one of the most entertaining things about Prairie House. We have one guinea who must have brain damage or is in some other way retarded. He can fly, but apparently he isn't smart enough to figure out how or why flight happens. He will get inside a fence and run the fence row squawking and squawking, complaining he can't get out. It just never occurs to him to fly over. Last night I actually had to open a gate so he could get out of the area he was certain he was stuck in. Then he couldn't figure out if he should go into the chicken house with all the others or just what he should do. Then he decides he can fly and propels himself right into the wall because he can hear the others inside calling him. He is a Pied Guinea, which is a cross between a Pearl and a White. They are somewhat rare. I can see why. The turkeys, on the other hand, are very strong fliers. Not graceful, but powerful. They have become fascinated with the satellite dish I have on the roof for my internet. It makes quite a racket in the house when they fly up there. They do not fly direct to their final destination. They make stops on the way. At night before they go to roost they first fly up to the top of the rabbit cages, then onto the awning on the bus, then on to the roof, and finally up into the tree. They roost about 20 feet off the ground and it is humorous to watch them land on the branch. The first one to roost gets quite the amusement park ride when the next one lands. The Tom is always to last to get on the branch and I am amazed it doesn't break because it bounces quite a ways when he lands on it. Apparently our ducks can fly as well. Yesterday they decided their pool in their area of the yard wasn't big enough. I went out to see what Bad Goose was fussing about and he was standing at the edge of the pen complaining because the two ducks were in the BIG pool in the other yard having a wonderful time swimming. Fortunately, all our creatures respond to us and getting them back into their own assigned space was not a difficult task. (Sorry, no story of me falling in the mud while chasing the critters will appear in today's blog.)