Eggs and rain

This is indeed a splendid year for anyone with a young garden. About 16.30 yesterday we received another 5 mm of rain. At the same day, two silver pheasant chicken hatched under their surrogate mother (a beautiful golden necked hen). We have done our best to help the hen keep the youngsters warm and dry in this unexpected rain shower. The real parents are not very good at caring for them, and we hope the hen will teach the youngsters how to find food and hide from cats and mongoose. Right now, they all stay in a large dome-shaped bamboo cage. When the chicken are big enough to climb into trees, they shall be free to roam about in the garden.

Many other birds lay eggs now. The other day I stumbled across the eggs of the Red-wattled Lapwing. Wading birds are usually found at sea shores but this bird is adapted to the drylands of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. Its conspicuous call is a part of the Dokmai Garden morning chorus.

Updates on the Orchid Ark can be found here!

Eric Danell