Thursday, May 13, 2010

A morning guest

As the rising sun hit the house and sheds, warming the cool earth, a sleepy visitor came out of its bed to see what the chook pen had to offer.


Luckily for our hens it chose one of the pens which is vacant at the moment (though the hens do sneak in and lay their eggs there).

I'm always a bit undecided when it comes to pythons in the chook pens ... Should we remove them in case they swallow a bantam or two (as has happened before)? Or should we leave them be so that they can do their excellent job of keeping down the resident rodent population (who come to feed on the chook food and scraps).

I took the close-up photo 'specially for Kevin who, I am fairly sure, will like it. As with all photos on this blog, click to enlarge!

Anyway, we left the python be and hopefully it found a nice rat or two to eat.

4 comments:

Mutterings from Maryville said...

yes, Kevin likes it a lot! isn't it wonderful to live in a place where these wonderful animals are still common and choose to share space with us.

Louise said...

Oh you fearless lot up there. I know that's just a python and it couldn't hurt me, but it totally freaks me out (just even looking at the pictures- I have to scroll down the page).

Dr. Mieke said...

Awww :-) Sorry Louise ... Actually the hens are quite disconcerted about the python too and have ceased to lay in their favourite spot and instead are seeking hard-to-find nesting spots in the overgrown stockyard, where the grass is head-high and festooned at shin height with hidden barbed wire left behind by the previous owner.
Poor disconcerted chooks.
Gathering eggs has become an ordeal in itself though! :-(

chindarah said...

lovely creature! I think they are so beautiful, and should be left to do what they do best, which is .. erm ... be beautiful, I guess :)