First Saturday Critter Party with Eileen

This is the first Saturday Critter Party that I'm sharing with Eileen now that I'm back in Mwadui again. Ironically, I had no bird photos yet,  but while Grant was home for lunch he called me to see a Lilac Breasted Roller on the cottage roof behind our house. We see many Lilac Breasted Rollers, but have never seen one in our yard and on the roof.  

While we watched, nearby a Red-Eyed Dove lay down on its side and looked up at the Lilac Breasted Roller. We've never seen these birds interacting and I grabbed my camera and focused. The photos are a little hazy as I had to photograph the birds through the windows but I managed a few of this strange phenomena. Lilac-breasted Roller and Red-eyed Dove interacting on our cottage roof

 The roller flew off the roof ...

... onto the water tank just below and looked up at the dove still on the roof

As if on cue, the dove strutted a little further along and...

...promptly picked up a twig from the roof top

The roller flew onto our back fence and looked up to the dove which was adding the material to a nest under our eaves

This morning the roller was sitting on the cottage roof again but shortly afterwards it flew and into the bush beyond our garden. There was no sign of the dove. 

And now to our only doggie on the yard: Princess. Many readers will remember how Princess came to live with us late last year. She was about six-eight weeks old. So that meant in July this year she was probably about six and a half months old; a lovely age, but also a risky time. If she got out, she could return a different dog altogether! And that's what happened. The night she and Toffee escaped under the reed fence, and where Toffee hurt herself, Princess probably met up with a handsome male dog who also took a liking to her. 

When the vets arrived to attend to Toffee this week, I asked them if it would be possible to spay Princess. They said it was too late, as she was already four weeks pregnant. I was very disappointed. Here in Africa, dogs normally have seven to nine pups, although I'm praying she only has one or two. I didn't want to be responsible for more unwanted pups in this country.

When her time comes, Princess will be moved to the kennels at the workshop and have her confinement there. As soon as the pups are born, Michael and I will visit her and check out a replacement for Toffee. And about three months later, the vets will come again and spay Princess.

Meanwhile I'm feeding the young mama-to-be tasty treats and calcium tablets to strengthen her for the time ahead. 

Never a dull moment in Africa, is there?

Princess, such a pup herself, is going to have pups of her own!

I'm linking my post Saturday Critters Party with Eileen which you can access by clicking here