Camera Critters #127: The Great Waffle War

My daughter, Amelia, made waffles one Sunday but had one left over (can you imagine having leftover homemade waffles?). So she tossed it outside for the chickens. Later that morning, in front of my computer in front of the window, I heard a huge, and I mean huge, commotion. I saw three hens chasing a fourth hen around the yard. The first hen had something large and golden in her mouth. The others were squawking as loud as they could. The chickens ran around the house yard, into the woods, out of the woods, around the wood pile, through the gardens, and around the driveway ! They eventually all got a piece of it, but not before I got some great shots! I decided to use Flickr's slideshow feature for this post. It's funnier if you run the slideshow fast but I couldn't find the code to do that. I hope you enjoy this romp as much as I did! Thank you for visiting today.

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Camera Critters #118: The Pushmi-pullyu

Genus Pushmi-pullyu, species alpaca

It was Open Farm Weekend at Cedar Brook Alpaca Farm in Irasburg, so I took Ironman and Catgirl. They had seen alpacas before, but never a pushmi-pullyu  so they had quite a treat.  This particular pushmi-pullyu was two toned: gold on one side and white on the other Talk about exciting — pushmi-pullyu breeders are becoming more creative as their breeding stock grows!

If you don't know about the pushmi-pullyu (pronounced "push-me-pull-you"), it is a "gazelle-unicorn cross" which has two heads (one of each) at opposite ends of its body. When it tries to move, both heads try to go in opposite directions. Dr. Dolittle meets it on his voyage to Africa to save monkeys (See: The Story of Doctor Dolittle). In the 1967 film, the pushmi-pullyu was instead portrayed as a double-headed llama. The more recent Eddie Murphy film has a brief scene where it is walking in the background while Dr. Dolittle talks to the tiger in the cage. This is in keeping with the fact that this movie version was only loosely based on the books. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org.

American breeders have expanded this pushmi-pullyu definition so that just about any species of animal can be one. Or part of one.

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Camera Critters: Charlotte A. Cavatica

Araneus cavaticus.

If you ever read Charlotte's Web by E. B. White, you read about barn spiders. Charlotte's last name, Cavatica, is a variation of the species name cavaticus. Barn spiders are orb weavers: they eat their web every night and rebuild another one. They live in wooden buildings and in rafters (thus they are called barn spiders). They are nocturnal. Barn spiders are a North American spider and are most prevalent in New England and Canada. They are furry spiders and can get quite large and scary looking! I have zillions of them outside the house and in the barn and garage. I love watching and photographing them.

Do you know what Charlotte's middle name was (it begins with A) and what its significance is? I'll put the answer in the comments!

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Camera Critters: An Alpaca

This was Open House weekend at alpaca farms all over the country. We visited the Cedar Brook Alpaca Farm in Irasburg. This female alpaca (a hembra) just had a drink of water. In her paddock were only females and crias (babies).

My Cedar Brook Alpaca Farm Set on Flickr.

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Technorati Tags: hembra, alpacas, Cedar Brook Alpaca Farm, Irasburg, Vermont
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Camera Critters: More Cows

While out photographing on Saturday I ran across this herd of Holsteins grazing in the woods on Hinton Hill Road in Westmore. I found these amusing shots in the camera when I got home. I hope you enjoy them. 

My Cows, Bulls and Heifers Set on Flickr

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Camera Critters: Kathy's Chicks

A fellow teacher got her chicks in June and allowed me to photograph them. They were so lively and quick that it was difficult to focus properly! We had a great time. She built the chicken coop herself and it is more like a small barn. These chicks were raised organically on the food they found outside. They never lost even one chick! These chicks are a combination of layers and fryers. And yes, unfortunately the fryers are already "processed." Kathy was a bit sad the day after that happened. School has re-opened here (two weeks already!) and I'm happy as a clam and back to regular blogging. It seems like a long time, doesn't it? Only 281 days till next summer vacation!

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My other Camera Critter is a big huge ugly bug!

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Camera Critters: Neighbor's Horses by Wingnut

Grandson Wingnut and I walked the Crazed Beagles this week and Wingnut took these photos of the horses down the road. We still don't know their names!

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Camera Critters: Farmer Bob's Heifers Group Shots

Many of Farmer Bob's heifers are Holstein/Jersey crosses, which explains why these heifers are black and brown! My other Camera Critters post is about the Jersey Boss of Farmer Bob's heifers. All of the heifers are pregnant. Farmer Bob runs an organic dairy farm. The chains and red tags on their necks identify them for inspectors (and for Farmer Bob, who needs to consult a list in the barn to match the tags and the names). Farmer Bob's wife doesn't need the list!

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Camera Critters: Farmer Bob's Heifers: Red

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My other Camera Critters post features a Cedar Waxwing.

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Camera Critters: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Please click on these photos to see them full size. You can see the proboscis of the butterfly in each photo. In case you aren't sure what you are seeing, I have blown up the second photo and pointed an arrow at this "tongue."

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My other Camera Critters post features a common ringlet butterfly.

Technorati Tags: eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly, Papilio glaucus, Camera Critters
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Camera Critters: Satin Moth

from About.com: Insects: Satin Moths:

The Eurasian native Satin Moth, Leucoma salicis, was introduced to North America accidentally in the early 1920s. The original populations in New England and British Columbia gradually spread inland, but predation and parasites seem to be keeping this insect pest largely under control. Satin Moths feed on poplar, aspen, cottonwood, and willow.

The Satin Moth has a unique life cycle with one generation each year. Adult moths mate and lay eggs in the summer months, and caterpillars hatch from those eggs in the late summer and early fall. The tiny caterpillars feed for a short time before they hide in a bark crevice and spin a web for hibernation. The Satin Moth then overwinters in the caterpillar form, an unusual way to survive the cold. In spring, they re-emerge and feed again, this time reaching their full size of nearly 2 inches before pupating in June.

This individual was on my porch screen on Friday night.

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My other Camera Critters post features amazing butterfly and spider photos.

Technorati Tags: satin moth, Leucoma salicis
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Camera Critters: A Disagreement Between Geese

This pair of Canada geese were in the Duquette hayfield the other day. They were cheerfully together, until . . .

This one on the left said "Nope, it's better over here."

And the mate finally followed after a long goose dispute.

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My other Camera Critters post features Holstein calves.

Technorati Tags: Canada geese, Branta canadensis
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