Signs of spring

I was at my computer yesterday when a terrible racket caught my attention. A large flock of blackbirds had settled momentarily in the third oak, and boy howdy, they were raising a ruckus!

Noisy blackbirds in the third oak

I have yet to see my first robin, but Terry tells me they’re back. The Canada geese are everywhere. While one would expect them to be flying north at this time of year, I see them flying in all directions. I’m guessing migratory patterns have broken down as geese have adapted to suburban life.

Sara is displaying odd behavior. She pulls her head in and walks backwards. I think she might be at the bottom of the pecking order, and that this is defensive behavior. We’ll have to keep an eye on it. As the snow melts, the chickens have more room to run around outside. Hopefully that will take care of the pecking problem.

Della is holding her own in the face of her terminal kidney disease.  She loves Terry the best. It’s not fair. I feed her! I also am the one who pokes her with a needle every night to give her fluids. Maybe that has something to do with the way she ignores me. Every morning (and often in the middle of the night) she cries and cries for Terry. As soon as he sits down, there she is, ready to settle into his lap. Here’s a picture of them working on an order from Gardeners Supply.

Della sits with her head on Terry's knee while he makes notations in the Gardeners Supply catalog