Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Turkey Times

What a nice start to the Spring Turkey Hunt! This turkey family - Hen and 4 chicks have been constant citizens in the backyard. They travel just outside the line of tall foilage to scratch. The Hen is teaching her babies to forage for food. They all know how to fly for the tree tops as was shown one day after Sadie and I had stirred them out of hiding in the pasture. The first response was a gallop out of the high grass, lifting off to glide gracefully skyward ,only to stop at the tree tops.
Having a few more rounds to make in our walk, we had the opportunity to stop and watch the Hen gathering her chicks from the perches they had risen to a short time before. Barely visible due to the ground cover, she only vocalized at brief intervals, to call the kids back to her side.
This afternoon ,we found this little family, tucked not so silently by the back of the garden. Gliding out of range into the tangle of the timber as we startled them from their hiding place...

8 comments:

SimplyOutdoors said...

I love watching the hens with all their little babies this time of year. They are everywhere around here.

Very cool!

CDGardens said...

simplyoutdoors - They are really neat to watch...
looks like some targets come the Spring hunt or maybe even next Fall. ;)

Windyridge said...

There have a been a lot of turkeys around here lately and the most coyote sign and yelping I've ever experienced.

CDGardens said...

windyridge- Sadie and I have been listening to some before sunrise yapping by one of the coyote troupes in the area. She drew my attention to it one morning. We went out to the front deck to let her get a closer listen...;)

The Hunter's Wife said...

I see a few turkeys here and there but when we were fishing in Kentucky we saw quite a few.

CDGardens said...

The Hunters Wife - Turkeys are prolific. Last year on vacation, I saw groups of Turkeys in the Black Hills, and North, towards North Dakota. Minnesota certainly has visible populations as well - along the Interstates we travel anyway.

Marian Ann Love said...

Wow, do you have a cool place to live...right in your own backyard. You are very fortunate indeed. Nature at it's best!

CDGardens said...

Marian Love Phillips - I do get blessed with a lot of wildlife. I am continually thankful for the chance to live here at Timber Life and see mother nature at work.