Strange Behaviors

One of the wonderful things about this life...

is that there are still things that surprise and amaze me.
Nature is always full of wondrous surprises.

After so many years of caring for animals, you would think that

I have experienced every imaginable animal behavior.
And yet... every once in a while something happens that leaves me utterly speechless.

Last evening during chore time,

(just after I had finished feeding and watering the donkeys, and horses...

and finished closing up the guineas in their house)

I was out in front of the barn filling watering cans with water for the 

following morning's chores.

From the back of the barn I could hear one of the donkeys making quite a racket...

braying, braying, braying... not their hungry braying, but their "alarm" braying.

I couldn't imagine what could be wrong.

I had just left their yard when I was closing up the guineas and they were busily eating.

The braying continued.

It was obvious one of them was calling for me.

Worried... I headed back through the barn and out the back door.

There, in the donkey yard, was Daphne...

with her nose to the fence...

staring into the guinea yard.

I peaked around the corner to find that Annie had been trapped in the guinea yard.

Now, I must tell you... Annie is not a barker. 

She uttered not a peep.

She stood there with a worried look on her face, but didn't bark.

Seeing me, Daphne went back to calmly eating.

I walked around to the other side of the guinea pen and let Annie out of captivity.

Peaceful evening mealtime returned.

All was right with Daphne's world once again.

I try to not anthropomorphize animal's actions -

but I have lived with many species for many years and I understand the complex 

emotions felt by animals.

I know that in that moment, Daphne became Annie's voice.

She understood that what had happened to Annie was not normal...

and she was determined to let me know about it.

Once again, I am awestruck by my animals.
They are so much more complex than most people believe.

I also thought you might enjoy this video, taken yesterday.

I had a friend visiting the farm for a couple of days.

As I was showing her the old log cabin, I heard the turkeys heading down the driveway.

This is an area that they never roam...

however, for some reason, yesterday, they just wanted to be near us.

As we left and drove back up the driveway....

Strange behaviors, indeed!