Adirondack Wildlife Refuge - Part 2

I was touring the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge and had reached the cage with Barred Owl, a common owl around here. It has a distinctive call which I frequently hear early in the morning when I let the dogs out:

They had a number of Bald Eagles, all with permanent injuries which prevented them from being released back into the wild. They have, however, had successful releases including one which now lives on Whiteface Mountain and returns to bother the captive eagles sometimes:

A Goshawk:

This Porcupine was a favorite of the staff and a friendly clown. He had been rescued when his mother was killed by a car. He was released and lived in the wild for about a year but returned, missing the easy life at the refuge:

Great Horned Owls:

Sedwick, the Great Blue Heron:

Broad-Winged Hawk:

I came to a clearing in the forest with a number of cabins and a small pond. I had been told earlier that the coyotes were being kept from view so they would not get used to people and could be released soon. From what I could see, I figured they were behind those tarps:

There was a house or office building from which a woman emerged, carrying a small animal:

It was a female Saw-Whet Owl, seven or eight years old. She had been rescued from her nest as a baby after crows had pecked out her eyes and will live out her life at the refuge:

 The woman pointed to the crow on a nearby cage, explaining that it was very tame but loved to torment the owls, including the Screech Owl in the cage:

While a small boy interacted with the crow, I snapped a picture of the Screech Owl:

And then the crow flew over to a sign, where it landed and no doubt contemplated what other trouble it could cause. But there was still more to see, and I'll Post Part 3 tomorrow:

Around The Farm In April

This is a mix of photos from around the farm at various times, beginning with this Great Blue Heron's nest which my sister and I stopped to watch from the road:

Another view of the Heron rookery. This tree had two nests plus a Heron at its very top:

My sister and I also stopped to watch a Woodcock beside the road. We watched for some time, fascinated by its fantastic coloration, its odd bill and its bouncing, bobby walk. My picture is on the left, an internet picture on the right:

The chickens cover every inch around the house and barn many times per day. They sure do get a lot of mileage!:

And the little bantams love to come inside the barn to cool off and find tasty treats:

They have also begun laying eggs in the bedding hay, a habit I have come to like because I know where to find the eggs and because the eggs are clean when I find them. Some days there are only two:

Other days there are up to nine eggs. I eat very few and give the rest to my neighbors:

This rooster has been non-combative, though his father was a real problem. I suspect that my ignoring this rooster and not trying to make a pet of it have made the difference:

My strange fascination with miniatures found a couple of new items recently. This tiny birthday cake came with four matching cupcakes:

A roast ham and what I think is supposed to be a plate of short ribs with vegetables: