Rafters of turkeys
Our neighbors, the Rafters
13 02, 21 09:24 Filed in: A procrastination
Our home is located along a relatively busy street and is situated between, to the rear, a commuter rail stop and, to the front, a hill with a few residences and lots of wooded areas.
Somewhere back in those woods resides a somewhat large "rafter" of wild turkeys who every so often can be spotted foraging in the morning for food among the trees and bushes of those homes. We are more likely to see them pecking away early in the day during spring, typically with a few large adult birds and their trailing young ones. Rarely do we see them on our lawn, and then for only a few minutes before they waddle back across the road where cars speed by at 30-40 mph.
This morning however, on a very cold winter day, there was a rafter of fifteen to twenty adult birds exploring the mostly snow covered hill in search of food. They tended to gather in areas under an older tree where the ground was exposed, using it as a launching point of sorts. Smaller groups would wander off to explore for more food-rich patches, while others flew into the giant evergreen to (I assume) seek food among the branches. The sight of the adult turkeys flying was strange enough -- even wild turkeys are a bit bottom heavy and I suspect any flights are more like extended leaps. They didn't stay in the tree for long, but it was enough to disturb whatever other birds had been nesting in the upper branches. Suddenly there were smaller birds taking flight.
But the oddest thing to observe this morning was a small rafter of five birds crossing the street and exploring our front and side lawns and bushes for exposed areas where they could forage. Obviously without success. Watching them make it back across the road was a bit nerve wracking, but they waited for an opportune time and made their way back to the other side thanks to several drivers who showed some patience.
It could be that what we witnessed this morning is actually a daily occurrence that we happened to catch sight of because we looked out the window at the right time. But there is another explanation.
Over the past week or so a tree removal company had been busy taking down several large trees from those properties directly across the street. It was a three day project involving some dead trees, but most were old and stood tall, probably providing lots of exposed ground for the turkeys to forage. With those trees gone and in light of recent snow falls (which are likely to continue intermittently over the coming week), the turkeys are trying to adapt to the modified ecology created by our neighbors.
Wonder if they will be making more visits across the road….
Somewhere back in those woods resides a somewhat large "rafter" of wild turkeys who every so often can be spotted foraging in the morning for food among the trees and bushes of those homes. We are more likely to see them pecking away early in the day during spring, typically with a few large adult birds and their trailing young ones. Rarely do we see them on our lawn, and then for only a few minutes before they waddle back across the road where cars speed by at 30-40 mph.
This morning however, on a very cold winter day, there was a rafter of fifteen to twenty adult birds exploring the mostly snow covered hill in search of food. They tended to gather in areas under an older tree where the ground was exposed, using it as a launching point of sorts. Smaller groups would wander off to explore for more food-rich patches, while others flew into the giant evergreen to (I assume) seek food among the branches. The sight of the adult turkeys flying was strange enough -- even wild turkeys are a bit bottom heavy and I suspect any flights are more like extended leaps. They didn't stay in the tree for long, but it was enough to disturb whatever other birds had been nesting in the upper branches. Suddenly there were smaller birds taking flight.
But the oddest thing to observe this morning was a small rafter of five birds crossing the street and exploring our front and side lawns and bushes for exposed areas where they could forage. Obviously without success. Watching them make it back across the road was a bit nerve wracking, but they waited for an opportune time and made their way back to the other side thanks to several drivers who showed some patience.
It could be that what we witnessed this morning is actually a daily occurrence that we happened to catch sight of because we looked out the window at the right time. But there is another explanation.
Over the past week or so a tree removal company had been busy taking down several large trees from those properties directly across the street. It was a three day project involving some dead trees, but most were old and stood tall, probably providing lots of exposed ground for the turkeys to forage. With those trees gone and in light of recent snow falls (which are likely to continue intermittently over the coming week), the turkeys are trying to adapt to the modified ecology created by our neighbors.
Wonder if they will be making more visits across the road….
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