Talking turkey
Almost extinct in the 1930s North America's native wild turkeys have made an excellent comeback! I read that there are an estimated 7 million birds today, and there are a bunch of them that visit my yard regularly.
They eat nuts, insects, berries and snails and use their strong legs to scratch through the leaf litter in the woods in their search for food. They also do a good job scattering the mulch that I put around my landscape plantings.
I read that they can change the color of their head when they are calm or excited to red, white, or blue. Very patriotic! But their red heads must not have felt very threatening to this squirrel!
In early spring, males puff up their body feathers and fan their tails in courtship displays. They strut slowly while giving a gobbling call.
For the first 4 weeks baby turkeys, called poults, are unable to fly and rely on their mother for protection.
These guys were up on the front porch looking in the front door.
Usually I see them running across the open areas. They can run 12 miles an hour, about the same as people can.
At night, turkeys fly up into trees to roost in groups. One time while out for a walk through the woods I happen to unknowingly walk under a tree where a rafter of turkeys were roosting and I startled them. Now turkeys are really strong flyers, and can reach speeds of 50 miles an hour, but when they're on a tree branch, before they get airborne, they drop a long way straight down, while trying to get air under their wings. You can imagine the chaos! And my shrieks!
They roost up at the top of the hill and my neighbor has counted 30 of them sleeping in the big oak tree in his yard at night. It's no wonder there are always a few in my yard during the day!
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Great pictures! There is nothing like seeing wildlife in person. Have quite
a few of these birds in the area where I live. Here is a picture we caught of them last January. We watched probably 50 of them walking single file through the woods. After they left I went out to see the tracks the had made. There were so many that the path they traveled was beaten down. The town's general store runs a contest every year for the biggest turkey. The size of some of these birds is amazing.
They are fun to watch! And I know that they can get huge. I think think the smart ones move into town where no one can shoot them!
chicken look spectacular! Beautiful photos i love the colors and your composituin. great touch.
Thanks. Most of the photos were not taken under ideal conditions. Many were through the window shots and needed a little help!
awesome photography ❤
I'd hate to rudely wake all those turkeys, I think it would give a new meaning to the term turkey drippings.LoL.:-}
Hahaha.... I suspect I was really lucky! Can you imagine?
Good post dear friends @melinda010100
Thanks.
Turkeys are rare, in Indonesia we rarely get turkeys.
They are everywhere here!
Awwww. You even got the little ones! We have a lot in Minnesota, as well. They seem right at home in peoples' back yards.
And that's one gutsy squirrel!
That Mama turkey was quite alert and quickly realized that I was and hurried those babies out of there! That was the only shot that I got. Brave or stupid squirrel!
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Such an interesting post, Melinda. I had no idea that wild turkeys are so interesting. And almost extinct but saved. Very interesting. Thank you for sharing this info.