Peeps a Peeping!

The chickens seemed to start laying a bit earlier this year, but none of the hens got broody until later.  We were wondering if we were going to have any peeps for a while, until 3 hens in our smaller coop all started nests around the same time as each other.  Two of them actually shared the nesting space.  When the first few eggs hatched, we moved out one mama and those peeps, leaving the other mama who was still on eggs to hatch out 3 more.  We couldn't put them back together though, because once they were separated with their own peeps, they would peck the other ones.  We also ended up with one peep who hatched too late for and the third mama rejected it.  That peep became known as Peepster, and basically was hand raised for the first few weeks of her life until all the mamas rejoined the flock and the peeps were all put together.  It took some time, but Peepster learned how to be a chicken.

Sometimes the chickens hide their eggs but nobody sits on the nest.  We bought some ceramic eggs that we don't collect to encourage them to lay in the coop.  It seems to keep them happier.

Sometimes they wait in line for their preferred nesting box.

This brown hen was considering joining two hens who were already nesting here, but it was too crowded.

Brand new.

Teamwork!  These two hens hatched out quite a few peeps, including that cute one in the picture.

We tried putting them together after the peeps hatched, but ended up separating the two groups.

Testing out one of Craig's new coops.

The final broody hen for the year.

Success!

One grey, one brown, one black.

Meet Peepster.

Peepster's mama rejected her so we hand raised her.  She spent a lot of time getting carried around in this little basket.  If you put her down she would peep so loudly we'd just pick her up again so having easy ways to tote her around was helpful.

But this system proved to be her favorite.  

And this was a favorite way to nap.

Life Abounds

It really amazes me each year to see how much life the sun and warmth bring.  Plants and animals fill up space together where not too long ago there was just sparse brown.  The air smells rich and sweet and hums with tiny noises of leaves rustling and wings buzzing.  Each year we delight in the return of familiar creatures, celebrating the first butterfly of the season and sometimes spotting something new we have never seen before.

Bee at work.  We actually revived another bumble bee that looked almost dead by bringing it some sugar water on a hot day.

Kitty in one of her favorite perches.

Slow traveller.

The source of one of my favorite smells.

Eggs a plenty.

We unearthed this little mole when digging a hole.  He was funny and cute and when we let him go back in the woods he dug into the earth so fast it almost looked like he was swimming.  Then he yelled at us with his little mole voice before disappearing completely.

Grosbeak eggs.

Tiny snail.

Many mating millipedes.

Thistles opening.

Lucky!

Poppy and dew drop.

Beautifulbutterfly.

Big rose.

They smell so sweet.

House wren.

Black headed grosbeak.

Gold finch singing.

All fluffed up.

Dragon fly resting.

Tux cooling off down at the stream.

A little nest.

The baby grosbeaks.

Pretty moth.

The rubber boa. One of Craig's favorite snakes.

Another nest of babies.

Hungry ones.

Beetle.

Pileated woodpecker way up high on the forest's edge.

Exoskeleton.

Yum!

A gorgeous moth we had never seen before.

It was really big too.

And orange underneath.

Tiny trout.

Mantis.

Almost to the top.

Craig escorting our first accidental bat visitor from our bedroom.

Another visitor.  This lizard came in and kept escaping, but always seemed to turn up my Deek.  We figure they were friends.

Aphid hunting.