Now and then I see wild turkeys when I'm driving but I have never seen them on this lawn before. They are BIG birds. I am always thrilled when I see them because when I grew up I understood that wild turkeys were nearly extinct. The first ones I saw were in Indiana about twenty-five years ago. Now, of course, they are all over the country -- or a large part of the country. It was the same with deer. There were none near the Indiana farm where I grew up, but later on, when I was married and living in the east, I sometimes when home to visit my mother and we would go to the near-by state part around dusk to look for deer and often saw them. Now I know deer are all over and cause traffic accidents often. I still get a warmth in my heart when I see a wild deer.
I understand the ecology and the way farming has changed in America, and that that has led to growth of more woods than there used to be, more wild places for wild creatures. But here, of course, these are wild creatures wandering around very populated areas. This was a delight today that seeing half a dozen robins combing the now uncovered (from snow) lawn was not.
4 comments :
Do you think that the turkeys moved to your lawn area because they are hungry? I imagine that snow cover is still in your area and what I have noticed about turkeys is that they are ground feeders. I too love spotting wild turkeys. My property in KY invited them with fields. Now its mostly parking lots in my immediate area. Warm hearted post -- barbara
We never saw wild turkeys until a few years ago. I live in a once rural area and in the last few years they have been near in once place or another. Last fall, the DNR had to relocate one that continued to stay in the berm of the highway near my home. I suspect food is not the issue since we live 3 blocks from a county park reserve.
Thanks for your notes, Barbara and Carol. I imagine the wooded areas remain snow covered longer than the lawns, like mine that melt fairly quickly when the sun comes out. I'm really ignorant of what the turkeys (or other birds) eat in the winter. Residents of my apartment complex are not supposed to have bird feeders (not that that matters to turkeys), but I occasionally cube stale bread and throw it on the lawn. I think mostly cruising gulls get it.
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