Each October at Rohan Farm, we have a sign of cold weather’s impending arrival – the day Cathy plays god with the outdoor plants. Which ones come in the house, which are on life support in the barn tack room, which are left dormant in the garage, and which ones die on the patio with the the first frost.
Continue reading “Playing god”
In June of 2010, Cathy sat in her car in the deserted parking lot of the Culpeper Baptist Church. The representative of Herr Fuchs had not yet arrived, and Cath was becoming a bit anxious. Antibes’ fresh cooled semen was a precious delivery and Cath wanted to make sure all went well.
Continue reading “All That Jazz”
Of the many, many things I thought I might be doing at Rohan Farm this morning, an Emu roundup was not in the top five or ten. In fact, it wasn’t even in the top 100. Still, there I was, helping Mike (no, not Doug) load two Emus into the back of his truck. You can’t make this stuff up.
Continue reading “The Emu”
It was Easter Sunday and Cath and I were taking Carmen for a walk. As we returned, we noticed something white on a tree branch in the pond. Initially, we thought a plastic bag was caught on a limb, but soon realized we had a first-time visitor to the farm – a Bufflehead Duck.
That’s Bufflehead. Not Buffethead or Parrothead, of which there are plenty in this area.
The pond is wonderful for animal and bird watching. I’m not a birder, but we do keep an Audubon Field Guide to North American Birds available, tracking both regular and visiting species. In addition to the normal Blue Jays, Cardinals, Robins, Bluebirds, Finches, Hummingbirds, Hawks, Owls and occasional Eagle, we have numerous waterbirds who fly in. Geese and Ducks arrive during their migrations. Herons stop by to fish. They stand stone quiet in the water, silently awaiting their opportunity. Deer, raccoon and the occasional bear visit as well. Regular readers of this blog will recall that two River Otters* were guests at the farm about a year ago.
For the past couple of years, a pair of geese and a pair of wood ducks have shared the pond and called it home. The geese are noisy and brazen, making sure everyone knows it’s their place. The ducks are quieter, often staying in the brush out of sight.
Then, a little over a week ago, this guy showed up and joined the party. We’ve not had a previous visit from a Bufflehead Duck, or at least none I’m aware of in the past 25 years. As a matter of fact, until his visit, I didn’t know such a duck existed. Starkly black and white, he was hard to miss and cut quite the figure. Going to our Audubon, I found it pretty quickly – a male Bufflehead. As is often true in nature, the males are more colorful than their female counterparts.
I read up on them in the Audubon and online. It turns out they migrate from Canada to Florida or Mexico and aren’t that unusual here in Virginia. They are evidently more often on the Chesapeake Bay, but according to our birding friend, Linda, they are definitely here in the Virginia Piedmont as well. Described as “short and chunky”, they are also known as Butterballs and Buffalo Heads.
Why this one was alone, I’m not sure. They normally travel in small groups, not big flocks. Maybe his buds were somewhere else in the area, or perhaps he became separated or injured. There is no way to know.
After three days, he was still here. Except for the occasional swim or dive for food, he hung out on the same tree limb sticking out of the water. It was as if someone posted a sign – “Bufflehead Roosting Only”. He’d definitely claimed the branch as his own. It’s worth noting this is the same branch the River Otters sat on a year ago. It must provide a good vantage point. Usually he swam alone, but occasionally I would see him with the Wood Ducks paddling around together.
One morning, he and the male Wood Duck were hanging out on the branch together. They didn’t appear to be talking or comparing notes. They were both just sitting there, very Zen like.
How long will he stay? We don’t know. As with the River Otters a year ago, we are enjoying his visit. When I feed the horses around 7AM, I make a short side trip to the pond and look for him. So far, he’s been sitting on the “Bufflehead Roosting Only” branch each morning. Later in the day, Cath and I both occasionally see him swimming around the pond or diving for food. He’s quite the character and has made himself at home on the farm. It’s over a week now, and he’s still hanging out, providing a little extra joy and color to the pond.
Addendum:
Live Life Exuberantly 