So our new addition to our family is clucking up a storm and eating lots of millet. Nugget has managed to survive the week dodging kids and cats and our night guard, Pierre. Pierre insists on putting her in a box at night for her own protection. She protests quite a bit and gets quite vocal. She is pretty skiddish. It took me a while just to get his photo. She is quite fast! She seems to respond to my clucks and attempts at chicken communication. I am still getting used to hearing her out in the yard. Although she is a bit shy, she does take the opportunity to greet people who enter our compound. she keeps her distance but definitely lets them know she is there. Maybe she is warning them? Attack chicken?
BIRD, our African grey parrot, has grasped a perfect impersonation of Nugget. Now he speaks in three languages, has all 5 of the Lehman voices down as well as laughs, whistles, car alarms, other birds, cats, ducks, ambulance, screeching gates, cell phone beeps, coughs, sneezes, little girl squeals, phrases like "Birdy is a goood boy" & "here you go" and now my bad impersonation of a chicken! He is so good he often fools me with the children's voices. One time he was saying "Hey Mum" in Ben's voice and I looked all over for him before finding out that Ben had left with Leron and was not home. I better watch what I say......He is a real kick! I wonder what his voice is like....he will soon have a real identity crisis becasue right now, I think he thinks he is a chicken! I am sure glad we picked the hen.....
We have a lot of birds in our yard thanks to the trees and plants as well as the pool. Ferdinand told me that when we were home in the US another parrot flew in from who knows where. It entered our terrace and BIRD promptly squawked and scared him away. The AWOL Parrot left immediately and found it's way to our Flamboyant tree that has yummy red blossoms. He had a snack and departed. Maybe he escaped from the market?? You can buy parrots of different varieties, doves, finches, love birds as well as bunnies, turtles, guinea pigs, etc at the market. Their cages are so overcrowded and from I have heard over priced!
Unlike Nugget, BIRD is not shy at all. As you can see in his pictures, he is quite handsome and photogenic. He really is quite a novelty and part of the family. Everyone greets him and tries their best to get him to say what they want...but he has a mind of his own. His ramblings when he thinks no one is listening are quite amusing.
I just love birds of all types and love the many flowers that Ferdinand has planted that welcome many varieties.
I have little finches that live in my bougainvillaea (above) and the African honeysuckle (below) attracts these little hummingbirds as well as butterflies.
I have been pretty unsuccessful photographing our garden visitors but will keep trying and will post when I can. Such a little oasis that i have here. Doves frequent the pool and we have flying rodents at night (not my favorite, but interesting). There is a little black and orange bird that sings me a happy tune while I hang out laundry and I can often hear the peacocks that are at the market not far from my home. I love the birds down by the river too .....heron, ibis, rollers and the huge flocks of weaver birds at the Riding Club. It is so wonderful to see all the wildlife. Niger with it's dry, sandy, scrubby, dusty Sahel conditions; boasts some wonderfully beautiful flowers and birds.
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