No Tea, Just Peacocks

My apologies to those of you who showed up for Thursday tea and found I'd made no preparations. No tea, no cakes. The house was in a mess and the dogs needed baths. Laundry was piled and ready for the wash but the machine was silent.

Alas, the weather was beautiful and my garden needed my attention. So it was there you found me -- in grubby clothes, no make-up, hair frightfully undone!

I hope you'll forgive me and join me NEXT Thursday and I promise to have the kettle on to boil.

Meanwhile, I'll show you a collection of photos of a magnificent bird - the Peacock.

All images via Pinterest

Peacock in flight

The peacock is an amazing fowl! Their beauty is unsurpassed. Here are a few facts:

Peafowl males are about 7.5 feet (2.3 meters) long. Of that about 5 feet (1.5 meters) is their "train" which is made up of the feathers that cover their tail feathers. They weigh up to 13 pounds (6kg). 

They live about twenty years.

There are three subspecies of peafowl. The blue peafowl is found in India and Sri Lanka and the green peafowl is native to Java and Myanmar (aka: Burma). The Congo peafowl lives in the Congo River Basin in Africa. They live in forested areas and bushlands (areas without too much vegetation).

Peafowl eat plants and insects and arachnids and amphibians.

Leopards and tigers and other large cats are their enemies. Snakes and lizards eat their eggs.

Peacocks are a type of pheasant. The word “peacock” actually only refers to males. Females are called “peahens” and both sexes together are called “peafowl.” 

Both sexes have spurs on their heels which they use to defend themselves and sometimes to fight amongst themselves. 

People have kept peafowl pets for thousands of years. 

They are known for their "train" which is made up of the feathers that cover their tail feathers.The brilliant hues and decorative "eye" of a peacock's tail feathers are this bird's trademark. An adult peacock's train of feathers can be sixty inches long.

It used to be believed that females selected males with more impressive train displays but recently studies have shown that it is actually noises made during courting that attract females.

A family of peacocks is known as a bevy. A group of peacocks is referred to as a party.

Peacocks prefer peace and harmony and will try to avoid commotion.

Peacocks have a crest or crown on the top of their heads that gives them a royal appearance.

According to history peacocks were brought to Egypt more than three thousand years ago by the Phoenicians.

Peacocks are quite sociable birds.

Peacocks reach maturity between eight and ten months of age.

Contrary to popular belief, peacocks do fly but only for short distances.

Peacocks get along well with other birds and like plenty of open space where they can roam free. They also enjoy being where they can get plenty of sunlight.

Males may have a harem of females which will each lay three to five eggs.

The average length of an adult peacock's beak is an inch long.

Peacock feathers are still popular decorations and are often used in crafts.

Peacocks are one of the easiest birds to raise.

Female peacocks make excellent mothers.

At night peacocks like to roost up high in trees or other high places.A peacock can have a wingspan of up to six feet.

Down through the ages peacock feathers have been a topic of superstition and folklore. According to various sources they may be considered as a token of good luck or feared as a bearer of ill fortune. 

I have only seen peacocks in zoos, but I would love to see them in their natural setting.