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"Possibility and promise greet me each day as I walk out into my garden. My vigor is renewed when I breathe in the earthiness and feel the dirt between my fingers. My garden is a peaceful spot to refresh my soul." Meems






Welcome to my Central Florida Garden Blog where we garden combining Florida natives, Florida-Friendly plants, and tropicals.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Proud As A Peacock

In between shooing the peacocks out of my garden and being dismayed at their freedom to trample wherever they roam, I have to admit, secretly, I've been hoping to get a really good photo of the mature male with his tail feathers spread wide open.

A couple of days ago I spotted him on a tree stump. King of the roost. His harem foraging around below.

It's not my tree stump. My neighbor two doors away, whom I have a straight view to from my back porch, feeds the squirrels and raccoons by placing food for them on the tree stumps. Yeah... feeding squirrels and raccoons is a subject for a whole other day. He also cuts down cypress trees without permits- thus the tree stumps. GRRRR! Note to self: "Love thy neighbor".
His (the peacock- not the neighbor)gorgeous tail in its upright position eludes my lens still. Although I did give it my best effort one day last week as he displayed a full and glorious spread of his brilliant tail to the female bevy that follows him around. I was too late and he was a bit far away in another neighbor's yard.

When I glimpse these exotic birds at a distance it is hard not to vacillate between loving the sight of their beauty and graceful strides and really wishing they just lived somewhere else.

Not to wear out talk of the peacocks, but readers have been inquiring about the status of their capture.

The ad I placed for free peacocks got a lot of response but once folks realized it was necessary to trap the peacocks prior to taking them home ... alas ... the enthusiasm dwindled.

Here's the Catch (HA)
Several of us neighbors (the ones who care that they will be reproducing soon and don't want even more of them around) decided we would pool our money ($800 fee-$400 down to get started- yuck) to spring for a professional trapper. Traps - very large cages- have been placed in two of the neighbor's back yards where the birds seem to hang out the most. Not mine. Thank you , Lord.

The trapper places food outside leading up to the cage and some in the cage. He comes back daily to see if any progress has been made.

So far, and it has been 10 days since the traps were first positioned, the peacocks are really enjoying the free food on the outside of the cage. Oh, and they are still enjoying roaming free--- foraging through everyone's yards.


My Own Pro-Active Solution For somewhat of a barrier to the only opening to my vegetable garden, I've placed a 10' x 30" folding fence. The rest of it is bordered by a sturdy chain-linked fencing. This temporary and moveable deterrent is working so far (I think). I found it when shopping at Home Depot for a trellis for beans. It has given me a certain sense of comfortability level for keeping them at bay for now.

Side note: I am sitting on my back porch as I write this post. In the not too far distance I can hear the honking sounds of the peacocks. That probably means someone is chasing them out of their yard. :-) And the saga continues...

Hope everyone is taking advantage of the milder weather if you can and have fun in your garden!
Meems

28 comments:

  1. I'm sorry if I seem to be laughing at your troubles but Meems this peacock episode is rather funny !
    At least you've got something to keep them at bay. And you can claim that peacocks stroll in your yard ... great conversation piece if you ask me. And you wont have any problem with snakes as long as they are around!

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  2. =) As for cutting down the cypress trees - we have a neighbor who is so afraid of having a tree fall on his house during a storm that after he moved in, he cut down every. single. tree. (except for a handful of tiny scrub oak) on his 5 acres and then painted his 3 car garage orange. It's a challenge.

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  3. Oh Meems - what a nuisance. A beautiful one, though! I am anxious to go looking for that portable fencing you mentioned -- I have a small space on the side of the house where I'd like to grow melons - a hole in a bed but in deer country. I used some old screens last year with twine and bricks...kind of ugly! I'd love to find a mini-moveable fence. Good luck with those birds!

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  4. That is a very unique problem you have! I have to admit it makes my occasional bunny issue look downright boring! Good luck!

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  5. Dear meems, The Peacock Chronicles continue! I so hoped that someone with a beautiful estate and a lot of money wanted them! Until they leave...I am so glad you found a simple and affordable solution to keeping the beasts at bay! It would be very frustrating to have them destroy your vegetable beds! The warm breezes from south of us are still blowing...we love it. gail

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  6. Hmm .. these beautiful creatures creates nuisance for you. I really hope they will be captured and taken away soon. I wonder if the local school or university want them.

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  7. Meems---I cannot believe living somewhere where you have peacocks in your BACK yard... Mercy Me!!!!! They are gorgeous---but I would want them FAR away from my yard also.

    Why is that 'neighbor' feeding the raccoons and squirrels???? GADS--we try to get rid of them here.

    Have a great week.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  8. I will never again complain about slugs! Peacocks are beautiful creatures no doubt. I hope the trapper can make good on his claims. Yes love thy neighbor even though you'd like to ring his neck. :)

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  9. I hope this trapper feller has given you a guarantee that they will be gone when he is finished. for that kind of money I would want a guarantee they would be gone.

    Peacocks are smart creatures. Too bad you don't have coyotes around. They would take care of them.

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  10. That male is so gorgeous even with his tail folded, I think I'd need sunglasses if he ever did decide to unfurl it. And, like everyone else, I'm giggling surreptitiously and somewhat apologetically. I'm also wondering where these birds came from? Isn't there a zoo that needs peacocks? Good luck--though I'll miss them when they're gone.
    --Kate

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  11. Meems some people will envy you with all that exotic wild life at your back door ahhem I mean back yard. They are beautiful to look at. I am dealing with monkeys at the moment. They are looking for food. They are very destructive, they eat gingers, orchids, anthuriums if they cannot find fruit. I saw one leaving my tamarind tree two days ago he is welcome to these fruit. They are cute but such a pest.

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  12. I didn't realize that these beautiful birds could be such nuisances, but then again they don't live in my garden. ;) Shame on your neighbor for feeding the squirrels & racoons & cutting down perfectly good trees.

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  13. Stunning peacock photo, Meems. (Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder)

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  14. Meems, what great shots! Every time I see them on your blog- I just can't believe you have them right there! So sorry for your troubles, but I have to say they are intriguing to say the least!

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  15. Meems,
    I also hope that trapper gave you a guarantee. He/she will probably sell those peacocks in addition to the fee being collected.

    I use the folding fence during the winter as my deer fence. Don't laugh! Mine is 32" high and is just used to break up the traffic pattern while my seedlings (larkspur and poppies) can grow without being plowed under by hooves. Amazing that the deer don't jump the fence. I keep this up from November until April each year. It's almost invisible from the road, so the neighbors don't complain!

    Cameron

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  16. I say turn the neighbor in who cut down his cypress trees. Hillsborough County takes very a dim view of that.We got cited for taking a dead one down,that the county cited us for not taking down!Government at work....
    We're having a problem with raccoons this spring.They seem to like putting our seashells that we use as mulch,in our pool!

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  17. WOW! You really have them living in your garden! Amazing, the nearest place I'm abel to see those lovely things are at the zoo in Copenhagen / gittan

    http://gittans.gardenblogg.se

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  18. Hi Meems,
    You have to admit your peacock male Is pretty stunning. But I sympathize with all of them tramping around in your garden. Not good.
    What will the trapper do with them when he traps them? Does he sell them?
    Cutting down cypress trees? I'm cringing.
    Your garden is looking wonderful again. I was just out cutting back our Florida damage. Just to see green shoots making their way through that mess lifts your heart. Not too sure about my hibiscus though. It may be part of the 'revision plan".
    Beautiful pics and thanks for sharing them
    Susan

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  19. Too bad you couldn't contain and control them somehow. I love the noise peacocks make, but not sure if I'd like it all the time and in my own backyard. Hopefully you'll get the situation worked out.

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  20. it is definitely a love/hate relationship with those peacocks.
    i find it interesting they know how to get the free food outside of the cages and know not to touch the food inside the traps. smart things. the stump photo is wonderful. i want some of those beautiful feathers, they would look beautiful in an arrangement.
    here's hoping for the traps to work.

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  21. Hey everyone,
    Thanks so much for your comments... it's okay to smile at the peacock troubles. You are right, Sunita, it is rather comical and if I look at it from your perspective it does make a lively conversation piece.

    Yesterday they were quite active. While it appears my handy-dandy portable fencing is keeping them out of the vegetable garden so far (I'm not laughing at your deer fencing, Cameron, I completely understand)... their bright blue heads were visible bobbing above the mexican petunia last night from my kitchen window. I left my cooking dinner to chase them out of the back yard. But first they ran right through the middle of my newly cultivated expansed planting bed. Fortunately I haven't seeded it or planted it out yet... but next week... NO PEACOCKS ALLOWED THERE!

    Side note: I hear them honking their warning sound as I write. Someone is shooing them to the next neighbor's yard I'm sure. It is the only time we hear from them.

    As for any local school or zoo we have exhausted all inquiries. There are just too many wild peacocks in our part of the world and there is "no room in the inn" for any more freebies.

    Gail, I might steal your "peacock chronicles" for my next post title should there be a need for another. :-) So stayed tuned for that one and thanks for the idea.

    As for a guarantee. No. There are NO GUARANTEES the trapper will be successful. I haven't spoken to the trapper myself but that is the word from the neighbor who has. We will be out the deposit only if he is unsuccessful. The trapper supposedly will not sell them but will relocate them to a far away place. LOL Somewhere where the buffalo roam... plenty of acreage... not near homes. I wonder how far he is willing to travel?

    There is a last resort. The trapper will tranquilize them if he has to. (I just found this out yesterday from a neighbor). He doesn't want to have to do that because something or other about it can injure their wings if he doesn't do it just right.

    Lisa's idea about the coyotes would be alright with me at this point. As a matter of fact, my Dad's idea of coming over with his .22 rifle is sounding acceptable to me at this point. oooohhh the dark side of Meems is coming out. Seriously, do you think I could handle that if I turned my head? I'm not sure. (Marmee, I know you can picture the scene!)They are really such majestic troublemakers. Innocent really. It isn't their fault someone raised them and then let them go in a neighborhood.

    Anyway... the sage does go on. You all are great to come by and let me know you're there and you're concerned about my garden. Ya'll are THE BEST!
    Happy Sunday!

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  22. You have peacocks to deal with, I have rabbits and deer. I am not sure which is worse. I love all the birds and critters, but I am darned, if I will share my garden with them, well at least with the destructive ones.

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  23. It's a good thing you've got a sense of humor Meems! As beautiful as they are, they seem like quite a nuisance.

    I hope your trapper earns his keep and does his job. In the meantime, if you get a shot of a male with his tail feathers on display I won't complain! :)

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  24. I hope your peacock problems are soon solved, Meems, but meanwhile, your pics are certainly a treat :)

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  25. Did you ever get rid of the peacocks? I have just moved into a new house and our property is frequented by several peacocks and hens with babies! The noise is terrible and I worry that they will give my chickens some kind of disease. While searching for a solution, I came across your site. An update would be much appreciated......

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  26. Liz101,
    Peacocks find neighborhoods (or property)and seem to hang around. We hired a local trapper and one by one they were eliminated from our neighborhood. The trapper relocated them. We've sited two females since then and we're hoping they don't find males to mate and make babies. Remains to be seen. Best of luch to you finding a reasonable solution.

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  27. I hadn't read this one before. Where did the peacocks come from? Do you still have them? I have seen them in Carolwood. Are they spread out over a wide area?

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  28. These peacocks came from a neighbor who thought it was nice that they could run through the neighborhood wildly. None of the other neighbors thought it was nice so we hired a trapper to trap all six of them. It took a while and a few fiascos along the way. Carrollwood has loads of them. We lived there before moving here and had to stop for them in the streets often but they were never in my yard back then.

    We now have a female that has made her way to our neighborhood. Not sure what will become of her. I'm just trying to keep her out of my garden. They are widespread in this area.

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Have a blessed day,
Meems


September 2010

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