The Newt and the Chicken House - How did the newt get in the bowl?
When I went to feed the chickens in the old goat house this morning I found a newt in the water bowl.
A couple of weeks ago I found three frogs in the same bowl enjoying a threesome.
This was more surprising as frogs can jump - newts can't.
How did the newt get in the bowl?
The newt was a Smooth Newt (Lissotriton vulgaris, formerly Triturus vulgaris), common enough in Britain but not so common in chicken watering bowls. I believe it was a female by the dual, rather than single, line on the back.
Amazingly the chickens didn't eat it.
You can see in these photos that the bowl was too tall, too slippery and has an overhanging rim, so would be impossible for the newt to have climbed in.
In the photo below you can see the bowl in situ in the old goat house where some of the chickens live when it is very cold.
Above the bowl there is gap between the edge of the old goat house roof and the adjoining barn wall.
Water drips through there when it rains. Could a bird have dropped the newt on the roof and it fell through into the bowl.
Although the bowl is due for a clean it is refilled every morning with tap water fed from our main spring.
Just in case the chickens took a fancy to it I placed the newt at the side of the little stream that runs down the edge of the back garden. There are small pools along the stream so it should be happy in that new home. Hopefully it can find its soulmate there.
And this is the newt ROFL showing its orangey underside :
If anyone has any other ideas of how the newt got in the bowl do let me know...
You might also be interested in some of my other posts :
SteemRadio - schedule of all the steemit radio shows - week beginning 9 April 2018
My Life in 8 Songs [Thursday 5 April 2018] - @starkerz - interview & 8 songs
My Life in 8 Songs [Thursday 5 April 2018] - @allasyummyfood - interview & 8 songs
My Life in 8 Songs [Thursday 5 April 2018] - @anarcotech - interview & 8 songs
My Witnesses - time for a clearout & rebirth
The Steemit Name Challenge - @pennsif
Birmingham, Saturday 7 April 2018 - Meeting more steemians at SteemCampUK
My Garden, My Barn, My Books
MSP - My Life in 8 Songs - Thursday 5 April - Promo-Steem special with @allasyummyfood, @starkerz, @anarcotech
Five Ways to Fix the Witness System
Time for a Steem Springclean - part 1 - Follows, Discords and Witnesses
[ photos by @pennsif ]
Other than the poor thing falling into the water dish, I am afraid I can't help you. I get frogs in the dogs' water dishes all the time in the dry season. The dogs always let me know. Apparently, they don't like the frogs bathing in their dishes. I am liable to find all sorts of creatures coming into the house. Last year I had an invasion of sand crabs!
I remember when we first moved here we had a baby frog come through the kitchen tap.
But that was before we put in the new tank and filtering system so that couldn't happen now.
I currently have three tiny tree frogs that live in overflow drain holes in my bathroom sink. They are all different colours and all love to sing. Now that the rainy season is about to start, I assume that they will move out into the trees that surround the house. At least I hope so. I would like to be albe to use my bathroom sink!
You should put them on DLive...
I wish I could. I have no working cameras at the moment...
That is a shame. Maybe the price of steem will go up one day...
Hope so...
I seriously have no idea how the newt got into the bowl, that’s a mystery indeed but that is a very cute newt!
Some people keep newts as pets here. I guess you would need an aerated tank.
I prefer them in the wild though.
Too funny!!!!
What a cute newt, I used to love playing with newts. I haven't seen them really on this property, or maybe I haven't been looking hard enough...
We had a lot of newts last year. This is the first I have seen so far this year.
When we used to let the ducks free range they would love them unfortunately.
Interesting indeed... Perhaps an extra dimensional being lost concentration during a quantum leap between dimension and turned into a newt and landed in the bowl. Or the newt was scooting fast on the roof and slipped. Last guess would be to agree with your bird theory though.
I'm going with the first explanation. I did see a strange light over the barn last night.
@pennsif,let's support each other, I support you, you support me, because steemit should be helpful
@ris. (aceh)
That could be fun, but I think we might be moving too fast - we hardly know each other.
Maybe we should meet each others' parents first before we make any long term plans 😊
I am free for tea on Sunday if that works for you.
PS. Are there any buses to Aceh on Sundays as my car is off the road at the moment?