Mama Hen & Her Chicks

It was the chicks' first day out in the big wide world.

Their mama has so much to teach them.  After three days in the coop, she decided it was time to explore a little further. She never lets them fall too far behind as they run after her, and she never stops her gentle clucking to herd them along.

New Chicks

The mama hen stays in the far corner of the coop, puffs up her feathers, and clucks angrily when I check on them... for the tenth time.

She tries to keep her new chicks under her, but they're beginning to get curious. I hadn't noticed the dug-out space between the two coops that stand side by side. 

One little one walked right under and found herself in the Cousin House.  The other only went half way and used the crack between to get outside them both. Mama was beside herself to get her babies back in the Friends House with her.

I'd like to say they all appreciated my help with reuniting them. 

But, no. Such squawking and carrying on!

Pretty Eggs

 

After being gathered, eggs should be admired for a while. 

 

Purple Peppers

Purple Peppers!  What a surprise!

Snapping Turtle Laying Eggs

I'm not particularly friendly with snapping turtles, but we're usually content to leave each other alone.

On an afternoon walk, we saw a turtle about the size of a platter right in the middle of the field just past the pond.  It was an odd place for her to be just sitting there, so I walked over.  Oh, my goodness!  She was literally at that moment laying eggs! I can't imagine how, but she'd dug a deep hole and was backed up to it.  We could see two white oblong eggs down inside the hole.  We left her to her labor and continued our walk.  She was gone when we returned, but there were three eggs in the hole! 

A Doe and Her Fawn

Sometimes they don't mind being watched.

This doe and her fawn stepped out of the woods to nibble a bed of irises.

 Such gentle little things..