Snakes.

One day last week while I was out the chickens started to "Make a racket" as Julia put it. They were clucking and cackling up a storm. She looked out in case there was a fox or something upsetting them. Nothing.
When I returned I went out to get the eggs. It is fairly dark inside the chicken house. I looked into the laying box - there are four boxes for them to lay in but they all use the same one - and could see some eggs. But I could also see something else. But could not make out what it was, so I turned on the light. Oh yes they have all the modern conveniences in our chicken house, a light, a window, food, water, perches, a water view, and a door to go in and out of. What more could any chicken want?

Anyway, with the light on I could clearly see what had upset the ladies, a snake, a large snake, a very large black snake was occupying their nest and was even then in the process of swallowing one of the eggs! The egg was inside of the snake, although only just as I could still see it through the mouth. It did not rush off, so I went and got a stick and a bucket, put the snake into the bucket and took it across the road to an empty lot where I released it. Complete with the egg!

Well I thought that might be the end of the story, but was not quite sure, thinking it might make a return journey for another fine meal of a free range organic egg.

I checked carefully each day and saw no sign of it. Untill today. I went out to collect the eggs, looking carefully before putting my hand into the nest. The snake is not a poisonous type, but it was large and can bite. And sure enough there he/she was, getting ready to swallow another egg. Off I went to get the stick and the bucket. I persuaded the snake to get into the bucket. But once in there what did I see? The snake was still in the nest! No, there it was in the bucket. There was another snake in the nest, but it was leaving and was gone before I could get it into the bucket.

I had to go and get some milk so took the snake and the bucket with me and dropped it off at a small park nearby, about a half a mile away, called the Hancock House. This was the original house here and was also the  name of the Lake that we live on now when it was called Hancock's Pond. It is now called Boyd's Pond.

Well I got the milk and on my return went straight to the chicken house of course to check on the snake situation. And there it was, looking for lunch. Again it was too quick for me, escaping down into the thick straw on the base of the house. I could not locate it.

I just went down to check again, but again no sign.

So, Watch This Space fot the Continuing Saga of the Serpent!