Are two adults and two poults (chicks) sufficient to declare we had a rafter of Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) around here today?Hearing no nays, a rafter it is!
Around noontime today, I glanced out the window and saw something large moving in the southwest corner of our front yard. When I realized it was turkeys, I got my camera. I took one shot through the multiple panes of a closed window. The result was somewhat impressionistic! So I carefully opened the front door. I took a couple of photos through two screens - the storm door screen and the porch screen. That’s the first photo at the top. I quietly opened the storm door and stepped out onto the porch. The remaining photos were taken through just one layer of screening. (They were heavily tweaked using Apple iPhoto ’08 and three were lightly enhanced using Adobe PhotoShop Elements 4.0 for Mac.) From when I first saw the beautiful creatures to when they left the lawn and disappeared into the woods, was no more than five minutes. And we have never before been lucky enough to see poults on our land.
A few years ago, there was a female turkey who would walk around the yard, moving in and out of the woods as she circumnavigated the house. There also was a Ruffed Grouse who was so unimpressed by humans that it would just step slowly into the brush as we walked by or simply move to the side of the driveway as we drove the car along. We also had the neighbor’s cows come through a few times, but that’s a story for another day!
You can click on the photos to get a better look.
5 comments:
There's nothing quite as exciting as wild animals making themselves at home in your garden. I love it.
Do you have a zoom lens?
Gail
Hi DMM -
I have to agree. Except I was less than thrilled with the Black Bear who destroyed our bird feeders - twice! Although I do wish I could have seen it from a safe vantage point and distance!
;o)
- Lee
P.S. We no longer have bird feeders.
Hi Gail -
I'm still using the digital "Canon PowerShot S2 IS" that we bought to replace our deceased Canon SLR film camera. The "Canon PowerShot S2 IS" does have a built in zoom (12x optical). I love this camera and continue to be amazed by the results I get. I can't imagine ever going back to film.
;o)
- Lee
Crikey, NOT so sure I'd be happy about a bear in the yard, are your pets safe? I know in Africa people with small dogs have to keep them inside after dark or
Leopards snack on them.
Hi DMM -
Not to worry! All our pets, both cats and dogs, (presently just two cats) are always indoor pets. Their life expectancy in any environment (rural, urban, suburban) is always longer and healthier indoors.
In this area, the bigger wild animal threat, as far as small domestic animals are concerned, is coyote.
- Lee
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