Fwd: Turkeys

[Marie Jordan]

Not those we feast upon for Thanksgiving but the ones that are now commonplace in southern Maine and spreading northward.

Over the last twenty years my backyard off outer Highland Avenue in South Portland has hosted an increasing number of turkeys each year.

It started with one here and there once in a while sixteen years ago and has grown to daily visits multiple times a day with anywhere from one to a high of  twenty-two birds.  During the spring this year I had three regular visiting males who were trying to impress a multiple number of females - no observed success in the yard but with the number of poults the females brought in during the summer, I know they had success out in the woods behind us! 

I have one of the "persistent crabapple trees"  in my front yard - one that usually feeds the late flocks of Waxwings in March.  There may not be any left by March if the Turkeys do not stay out of that tree.  See Photos.  They are often in the tree when I go out to retrieve my morning newspaper  (yes, I am a creature of habit and still have the paper delivered to enjoy with my morning coffee!)  Awkward is the only way to describe the Turkeys moving about in the tangle of branches as they feed on the small crabapples.  

An interesting observation yesterday was watching a female (picture included) spreading her tail feathers and strut around the yard  - no males around to show off to.  No idea why she was doing this - I have never observed this behavior before.   

I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving and will soon be enjoying your Christmas BIrd Counts.  Tis the season!  🦃 🌲🎀

Marie Jordan

South Portland

[Janet Galle]

Beautiful, atmospheric photo…..feels like November.

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[Craig Kesselheim]

Wanted to put in a belated plug for the PBS Nature program called "My Life as a Turkey," for a deep dive into a year in the lives of a clutch of turkeys who imprinted on a man, who then spent an entire year of daily dawn-to-dark wanderings with his brood in the wilds of Central Florida. True story, first told by Joe Hutto and then re-created in full for PBS productions!

Despite the quirky title, I highly recommend the documentary. I learned a lot.

Craig K

SW Harbor