Wild Turkeys On the Loose!

"Those birds are nasty s.o.b.s," says a colleague in-the-know. (4/28/13).

Stepping into my mother's backyard late Sunday afternoon, I was (for the second time this spring) greeted by a roving band of wild turkeys. They looked to be on a mission.  Quickly making their way down the neighbor's backyard hill, in single-file formation no less, they seemed unfazed by my precesne atop the incline. There seemed enough time to attempt some better shots.



"Single-file wild turkeys" must be an oxymoron, right? (4/28/13).

Picking my camera up from the kitchen table, I headed back outside. Surprisingly the turkeys were not all that startled by the inadvertent banging of the screen door. Two huddled briefly to look around before returning to the rank and file of the roaming quartet.


Wild turkeys cleverly hiding behind a tree. (4/28/13).

During the time I was observing them, about 15 minutes en total, I heard a fifth turkey calling from what seemed to tbe the trees. My mother has previously spoken about seeing them sleeping in the trees. While I looked as carefully as I could, nothing resembling a winkled old man was to be seen sitting in the bare branches overhead.



That's all folks! (4/28/13).

I was momentarily fooled by some old tires nailed to the upper branches of some trees in the distance(?), but failed to catch the sleeping, bleating bird. Clearly acclimated to some human annoyances (as their previous behavior toward mailmen and passersby, as told to me by a colleague, would seem to suggest how they generally percieve us), the four went quickly on there way beyond my mother's yard, likely to return another day...