Re: [gardeners] Early onset to fall in an L.A. Garden
George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Thu, 12 Oct 2000 16:19:51 -0500
Emu's, ostriches, Dodo's, halloween costumes.
George, continuing to speculate
Margaret Lauterbach wrote:
>
> Peahens? Guinea fowl? Margaret L
>
> At 11:21 AM 10/12/00 -0500, you wrote:
> >Are you absolutely certain these were not wild turkeys? Wild turkeys are
> >slowly
> >coming back in much of their former range and, other than buzzards, are
> >the only
> >large bird I can think of. Buzzards don't usually walk around on the ground
> >either.
> >
> >George
> >
> >penny x stamm wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi, David and Ron and all -- in spite of the 39* nights, we have not
> > > had our first freeze as yet -- and we are several hours north of
> > > you, David!
> > >
> > > This morning as I stared out the kitchen window, I nearly broke my
> > > nose on the window ---- there were 6 enormous birds, positively
> > > larger than a turkey, slowly ambling across the rear lawn, and
> > > stopping here and there for a peck at some hidden insect below...
> > >
> > > I yelled for Jimmie, and he yelled for the camera, so I did attempt
> > > to photograph them. My film speed of 100 was not adequate,
> > > however, since a flash was called for and my flash would never have
> > > reached them, but we'll see. When I opened the back door to get
> > > a better picture, they looked up at me, stood stock still, and then
> > > went back to their slow amble. Totally nonchalant.
> > >
> > > They were dark brown in coloration -- I think the wings (which were
> > > folded back) were darker than the body, not sure. But HUGE . . . .
> > > There was something white about each head, but I am confused as
> > > to just where it was.
> > >
> > > A month or so ago, we saw a parade of a mother bird and her six
> > > progeny crossing our front lawn. She was definitely leading them.
> > > When they reached the curb, she stepped off and they kinda
> > > jumped off, and then the little ones scampered like bats out of
> > > Hades to reach the other side, as if she had told them to beware of
> > > cars. It was very funny! The truth probably was that they did not
> > > like the feel of the road surface ... We suspect that they have been
> > > nesting inside the shell of a house which has been abandoned
> > > for 4 months in the midst of a reconstruction, and not one of us
> > > knows the story...
> > >
> > > The whole covey walked slowly from left to right across my
> > > rather large lawn, and then 5 of them took the stone path thru
> > > the bushes, turned left around the tall spruce, and disappeared.
> > > They should have gotten rather locked in back there, but they never
> > > came out. The 6th one finally decided to follow them, and walked
> > > right smack thru the large impatiens bed, smash, smash, then
> > > tangled with the low fencing I keep behind the bed to deter the
> > > small varmints from unnecessary trampling. Funny thing -- I had
> > > looked out the window in the first place to see if that impatiens
> > > bed had been hit by a frost yet, and noticed that the flowers were
> > > definitely shrinking down -- so I didn't come after that monster
> > > bird with a carving knife . .
> > >
> > > Penny, NY zone 6
> > >
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