Foxfeather Zenkova
@foxfeather
Wild bird rehab + emu antics + the occasional yak Mostly birds, but anything can happen (and usually does) Art‑funded wildlife rescue • Building our region’s first wildlife hospital one weird day at a time. Foxloft.com - Vultureconservancy.org
When you accidently use the Hose of Summoning while trying to do chores. ✨️The Hose of Summoning✨️ (Common Wondrous Item) This battered garden hose hums with faint chaos energy. Casts Summon Emu. Roll d20 to determine # of emus that instantly materialize into the middle of whatever you are doing.
Sometimes you have a normal day. Sometimes you have an 'explaining to an orthopedic surgeon what a chicken diaper is and how to make one for a prone crane post-leg surgery to keep it clean' kind of day. (Photos courtesy of RPAW and Dr. Jess of a poor hit-by-car kid who will soon be here for care).
The wild turkey mob is growing so fast! When they're a bit older, more self sufficient and can be released, local wild moms adopt them. We can't let them try when chicks are younger since one mom can't take care of so many babies at once, but they're happy to take the teens and show them the ropes
Crane colts go through a lot of funny growth spurts as they rapidly go from teeny to tall in a matter of months. Our littlest chick is rocking some funny 'ear hair' today as real head feathers start to replace fluffy baby down. Its feet are about two sizes too big today, too. 🪶
Crane #4 was found wandering through suburban yards, visiting homes and incessantly calling for its parents. Extensive searches to find the family failed, and since the bird kept wandering into busy roads and won't make it alone at this age, it was brought to us for rehabilitation and release. 🪶
For more than a decade we've been at major war with burdock in our pastures. It's a horrible, horrible plant. We finally caved and borrowed goats from a friend. I don't want goats (they can get out of everything) but am desperate. They certainly do an impressive job on the weeds!
Tried to get a nice photo of some of our new peachicks, but got photobombed by geese. It's always the geese or the turkeys, if I crouch down with a camera they materialize out of nowhere to take up the frame.
In case your day needs a little break to watch a crane drinking water, looking exactly like a dunking/drinking bird toy, Stiltchild's got you covered. 🪶
This noodle of a dog, he has such a hard life. Knows no comfort, poor thing.
Stiltchild and Crane #3 are giant already, starting to look like actual birds (as opposed to a randomly assembled collection of birdish parts) 🪶
🦈 Chomp! Emus knock giant inflatable shark sprinkler onto unsuspecting ducklings. Emus unrepentant. (Don't worry, no ducklings were harmed!)
Could your Sunday use more emus in it? Enjoy the utter chaos of giant birds playing in a shark sprinkler, come join our livestream! 🪶 twitch.tv/thefoxloft
It's a good thing we finally got a trailer to haul the peacocks.
Orphan crane #3 joined us today. It's severely malnourished and underweight from having been alone for at least two weeks (cranes are basically glued to their parents' sides for the first nine+ months, never on their own). We will see what we can do to get it back on track!
This is what happens when you choose the ‘budget-friendly’ lawn service. He had eggcellent references. I remain dubious.
From when we arrived to today, we're doing so much better now! So much more robust and active, starting to grow like a weed after a super rough start. (Bonus, hazards of working here include regular bathroom rerouting since sometimes it's bathroom eagles, sometimes it's bathroom cranebabies.)
The original Stiltchild: Gangly? Yes. Graceful? Not yet. Tall? By lunchtime. An inch a day growth rate is crazy to witness, every time I look there's more feathers, more leg, more bird. 🪶
How was your weekend? Here, "Let's get dressed up for Saturday night" means pretending to be a 6-foot bird so an orphaned baby doesn’t imprint on humans. Just normal weekend stuff. (Uglymom glow up! Equally as sweltering when slogging in 110 degree heat index, but better than a torn bedsheet) 🪶
Working to stabilize this teeny tiny crane colt (just hatched, the size of a small apple) sent to us for care from the big center in the cities. Cranes are very dedicated, loving parents so orphans are quite rare, but we're now the only place in state taking them so tis very busy crane-time. 🪶
Yolo the baby king vulture has the cutest freckles going on. 🪶 It takes king vultures 5-6 years to go from baby to full color glow-up, and during that time there's a constant transition of in between stages. Its so fun to see him evolve!
Thank you to everyone who has sent items from our Wildlife Wishlist for Stiltchild, our mini armada of wild turkey poults, and other birds coming in for care! 🎁 Many items are on sale today if you're so inclined to send a gift to the birds 🪶 : www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/...
Just popping in to gently remind you that hydration is a lifestyle. Don’t mind us. Just casually checking if the pool magically refilled itself yet. Ahem.
When you dress up for the work party and everyone shows up in business casual 🪶
Those little chicken wing nubs have a long way to go before they're a 7 foot wingspan ready for migration 🪶 Learn more about the story of Stiltchild and Ugly Mom! www.patreon.com/foxfeather/p...
Emu Prime: Delivering packages and chaos. We also pecked your welcome mat and ate the eggs your chickens laid this morning. You're welcome.
Legs for days! Sandhill crane colts can grown an insane 🌱 *inch per day* 🌱 and reach their full nearly five foot height in three months. Despite the very rough start, stiltchild has beaten the odds and is back on track for growth. Hopefully they can rejoin wild cranes in the fall! 🪶