Turkey day

A flock of wild turkeys lives in our park. Over the past few years, I have caught an occasional glimpse of them and even captured a couple of mediocre blips. Most of my photos show the elusive critters from the rear because they are shy and skittish, taking off in the opposite direction as soon as they see me.

Early each morning, the flock flutters down from the trees where they have roosted for the night. Being birds, they can fly, but they usually don't. Instead they wander around the park during the day, searching out food and dashing into the underbrush if they feel threatened.

Just before dark, they trek back to their roosting place, fly up into the trees with a loud clatter of wings, and flutter from tree to tree, usually trying out two or three limbs, before they hunker down for the night. You might think they would build nests or at least choose a comfortably wide place next to the tree trunk for their roosts, but that not the way of these birds. They just sit out there in the middle of the limbs, looking like mysterious, dark shadows dotted around the treescape. It's a strange sight to see. I've waited a long time for the opportunity to blip them. Today was turkey day...finally!

More turkeys on Flickr

Rascal again