Bird Brain

When the broody hen wouldn't give up her sit-in, I gave her three eggs to try hatching. I should have given her a few more, because just one hatched.

I knew the chick's real mother was one of the Easter Eggers, since the egg was green. I was hoping that the father was the rooster of the same breed, but judging by leg color it was one of the Buff Orpingtons instead.

The little chick had a lot of fun exploring the great outdoors.



It doesn't wander far from the hen, and when she gives a certain call, the chick burrows down in the grass and lies flat as a pancake!

In other bird news, yesterday we saw a really gorgeous Great Crested Flycatcher, and a Solitary Sandpiper down by the swamp. And since we're a little liberal about what we call our "yard", that last one's new for the yard list too. Some of the flycatchers will stay here and breed, but the sandpiper was just stopping by on his way from Central or South America to Canada.

I dreamed of Blackburnian warblers - I guess I've just got a bird-brain lately.