Peacocks

[Dak]

My husband told me tonight that he saw a pair of peacocks in my garden. Tomorrow I'll have to go down and survey any damages. Just when I thought I had it all planned out, hardware cloth under my raised beds, gopher baskets for all the rest, netting for the berries, water scarecrow for the deer, (haven't needed to turn it on yet) now peacocks? How do you protect your garden from peacocks? I wonder if my water scarecrow would work.

He thinks that they've escaped from one of the local wineries. Just great.

[Tracydr]

Peacocks are fairly carnivorous. They eat a ton of bugs, small mammals like mice and snakes. I've not seen them doing much harm to the garden.
I used to raise them and plan to get more after I move. I just love them!

[Dak]

Tracydr, that's great news! Maybe they'll hunt the gophers too? I've been reading about guinea fowl, they're not supposed to be very destructive in the garden either, just eating bugs (and being noisy, LOL). So peacocks are a good thing.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Dak

Tracydr, that's great news! Maybe they'll hunt the gophers too? I've been reading about guinea fowl, they're not supposed to be very destructive in the garden either, just eating bugs (and being noisy, LOL). So peacocks are a good thing.

Other than the fact they sound like a woman screaming.
And guinea fowl dont have the sense to get out of the road.

Worth

[Dak]

I have grown very tolerant of sounds living in this rural area. I have a neighbor, a grown man, balding, that will ride his dirt bike up and down our roads for hours at a time. Neighbors to the right, left and behind me have roosters that chorus in unison starting about 3 am. Come summer, the neighbor kids will ride their dirt bikes for hour upon hour, luckily (?) they're allowed to ride off property now, so the noise cycles in and out rather than being constant. Something about owning a couple of acres seems to make people rather inconsiderate of others around here. So peacocks screaming? Get in line.

I never garden without my headphones.

[Worth1]

I have all manner of screaming and crowing around here.
From wood peckers and roosters to peafowl.
At night it is the owls.
The only thing I cant stand is the off road vehicles.
Thankfully they moved away.
There was always a bunch of drinking and dirt bikes with loud mufflers.
It seems that one house which is a nice house always get this sort of people in it.
One bunch tore up the street peeling out.
Another would cut across peoples yards and tear them up.
Yet another paint balled houses.
It is a fantastic neighborhood except that one house.

Worth

[Dak]

Worth, that is so true! When we moved here there was elderly woman next door that died only a couple of months after we moved in. She had beautifully groomed roses, fruit trees and grape vines. Her family finished her landscaping dreams when they had to put it on the market, so when it sold it was absolutely beautiful.

Now, 3 owners later, the grapes and roses are almost gone, horses graze the entire property. It's sad when I remember how much care and money went into grading and landscaping.

[Worth1]

It was the other way around at my house.
Before I moved in much of the yard was a parking lot no plants and the horses grazed the place.
Some place I have before and after photos.
It is like one of those landscaping TV shows.

I just hope I can stand to stay here without Nancy as I did it all for her.

Worth

[Dak]

OK, Worth, you've completely raised the bar for men everywhere. A man gardening for his wife has be the most romantic thing I've ever heard. Even a man making breakfast for his wife isn't as romantic as that.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Dak

OK, Worth, you've completely raised the bar for men everywhere. A man gardening for his wife has be the most romantic thing I've ever heard. Even a man making breakfast for his wife isn't as romantic as that.

I did that too.
I would make her plate and butter her toast, she would be at the table and I would bring the food to her.
I would bring her drinks and open her beer and pour it in a glass.
She would ask why and I would just tell her I like doing things for her.
I would have brought her a golden peacock if I could have found one.
Everything I did for 33 years was for her not me.

Now I have to figure out what I want for myself which is something I have never thought about.

I wish I could have tame birds here but I will have to settle for the many wild ones around.

Worth

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Other than the fact they sound like a woman screaming.
And guinea fowl dont have the sense to get out of the road.

Worth

Boy, is that ever true! When I had guineas, my main losses were auto collisions. They made a habit of crossing the street multiple times a day.
Good tick and grasshopper eaters, though. And the eggs are good if you can find them.

[Dak]

I'm really enjoying the eye candy of having peacocks around. They do pick at my flowers, but they seem to go for the seed heads of the CA poppies and not the flowers themselves.

I did see them rummaging through the leaves in my garlic bed, looking for bugs, but as soon I set up my water scarecrow, that should stop (I hope).

[Tracydr]

Those look like a couple I used to have. I can't see the tail of the blue guy, I think he looks very young,though.

[Dak]

I was thinking they're young too! The male doesn't have much of a tail. I'm not sure where they are spending the night, but I'm glad that none of our predators have gotten them.

I took pictures of them for a while then was doing some work when the female came up and started softly "honking" with the male echoing. They got a little close, then waddled off, just saying goodbye.