This summer our peacocks were busy. They showed their best feathers and impressed not only the Peahens: many guests at the ashram enjoyed themselves and the peacocks posed for the countless photos.
Early this summer there were three nests with eggs - even one with 7 - but gradually this brought a fox or a marten. We found a scared peahen running around nervously one morning, looking for her "scrim" (her nest) .
In the second run, some time before the Krishna Retreat there were two nests of five eggs from two of the hens. There was a place just by the entrance and another under the stairs to large darshan hall.
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| a proud peahen with her newborn chicks |
The hen had four weeks to stay on her eggs unscathed. On the first day of Krishna retreat the first chicks hatched, and all five chicks are doing well. Meanwhile, it can be seen that the first five chicks are five males (we call them "the 5 Pandavas")
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| the 5 pandavas on their way ... |
Since Swamiji told me to be careful and keep them in their small barn for three months, I arranged the hens with their little ones in our little aviary. They were here for the first days, remaining undisturbed. I bring the whole crowd out early in the morning and in the evening they come back to their house by themselves - because there will be delicious food! - and then they are locked up overnight.
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| All 10 chicks |
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| These are the wise chicks... |
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| ... the Rishis! |
The chicks of the second hen (born near the darshan hall) hatched on the 13th day of the Bhagavad Gita Retreat. They have been there listening for two weeks to Swamiji's talks - not your average birds ;-)
So now that we therefore have a proud group of 10 peacock chicks. For now we are happy to have them - we don't know yet how to handle having too many when they are all grown up!
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| curious peacocks during the retreat |
During the Bhagavad Gita retreat, the birds would go to the porch, where from time to time we would see some curious adult peacocks listening to Swamiji explaining the Gita. During a break in the course, he said, "I love them so much! I do not want that we give away any peacocks."
Here's a little video that Swami Kuru made from the first flight tests of the 5 Pandavas:
And some more photos from the babies (thanks Isolde!)
