Patrick and Kari's Travels

As promised here is an update on the animals. First and foremost are the ducklings. Apparently the ducks are bad mothers, so our WWOOF family transferred the eggs to their chook house (chicken coop). One of the hens adopted the eggs and has been raising the ducklings as chicks since birth. Thus the ducklings scratch and peck at the ground like chickens, and the mother (Blue) becomes anxious when her babies take a dip in the pool. It is a funny sight to see the ducklings so attached to a chicken. Avalon also has two goats (Bella and Billy), four adult ducks, seven chooks and two dogs (Bomo and Becks).

The most exciting animal sighting however happened yesterday as Pat and I finished walking the dogs into town to pick up some groceries. As we walked along the road home the dogs started sniffing around in a drainage ditch. They sent a quail flying and in her wake we discovered a troop of baby quail. The baby quail hurried up the embankment before I could snap a photo (astounding how fast they are) and hid in the brush. They were no larger than golf balls and had already learned to evade potential predators.

Tonight we heard a possum outside our window, but were unable to find it when we went outside to look. The possums here are a menace however in Australia (their native land) they are endangered. Though we’ve seen plenty of dead possums on the road I’m hoping to see one in person (and alive) soon.

Kari