More Turkey Talk

The turkeys are still with us, well some of them are. Beth was lucky to find them walking in a line a couple of days ago and counted 11 of them. The group has broken up but four of them are still with us. I don’t know what the social interactions are with turkeys and if associations and partings are common behavior, especially in winter. Perhaps it’s as simple and complicated as available shelter, water, and food.

There are many trees for sheltering and the birds have selected trees in a protected area by the big creek in back for roosting areas. They start heading for the trees about two hours before sundown, seeking perching places in the high branches. They look like tailless tadpoles in the trees and usually face into a prevailing wind. Water is available in the creek at the base of the trees. The creek is shallow but has never completely iced over. Some areas of the creek become constricted, forcing water through narrow banks. The creek bed is heavily lined with gravel and liberally strewn with rocks, creating a miniature flume of rushing water.

Turkeys spend most of their time on the ground, like pheasants, quail, and grouse, searching for food. In addition to all of our burdock, we have seen them eating the brilliantly colored fruit of Sumac (Rhus typhina). The fruits are on the tips of the branches, about ten feet from the ground, and it is amusing to see a daredevilish large bird among them. Some of the birds will peck at the “harvester’s” feet, to force him out of the way or encourage quicker work I’m not sure. The rest will be on the ground, gleaning the tailings of another’s effort.

Three of the turkeys found the suet and bird feeders up by the house. They were unable to make the connection between the feeders set up high to the edible morsels on the ground but seemed to greatly enjoy their troves. We flushed them away, incidentally of course, and as they flew away to safety heard them make a quiet 2-note call of alarm and warning. It wasn’t a sound I would have associated with large birds and probably never would have connected it to a turkey if I hadn’t heard it myself.

Turkey Week

turkey in the dog run

A small flock of turkeys is visiting. Numbering about seven birds, they usually visit us for a short period of time each winter. I first noticed them two days ago as large dark blobs down by the big creek. The dark blotches looked too regular to be rocks or stumps so I aimed binoculars on them and they focused into “our” turkeys.

“Our” is figurative, of course, as there is no way to determine if they are the same group as before and we certainly don’t own them. Unlike domestic turkeys, which are renown for their stupidity and lack of good sense, wild turkeys are interesting to observe. One member is posted as the lookout, usually in an elevated position, while the rest of the birds seek for food on the ground. They search for seeds, usually burdock at this time of year, and methodically cover large areas in their quest. One adventurous chap (or chip!) came all the way up to the house and was seen pecking at tufts of exposed lawn grasses by the deck. I didn’t know they grazed but surmise anything that is green and herby has appeal during the winter

Besides gobbling, which I have only heard in the spring, turkeys have a range of vocalizations. I startled the group when I found them in the front half of the horse run, up by the road. The lookout gave a quiet 2-note call but they all heeded it. They moved away from me in an unhurried yet wary manner, gauging their response to my closeness and actions. I am speculating when I say warning calls may vary in type and volume depending on an internal threat index but that is how it seemed. In other seasons I hear turkeys making one-note calls on the hillsides but rarely see them.

I don't know if this group is habituated to humans but they seem unusually brave to be out and about, almost brazen, and certainly unfrightened in their behavior. Many people shoot or trap animals around us, essays for other days, so I don't know why the turkeys are being so open. I think their presence, besides giving us pleasure and a source of amusement, is indicative of a healthy environment. These are some of the native animals, parts of the natural fauna that are supposed to be here, and I'm glad they are.