I saw a wild turkey!

[xiphias]

I was dropping Lis off at work, just as we got to the door of her office building, she said, "Hang on a minute -- put the car in reverse." I did, backed up, and she said, "Yes, I was right. That's a turkey."

There was a turkey about four feet from the car. I said, "I wanna go talk to the turkey!" so I let Lis off at the door and parked the car.

Turkeys are really beautiful birds. And wild turkeys are actually pretty smart (very unlike their domestic cousins). The turkey watched me as I approached. She (?) (I was just looking online at info about turkeys, and I think she was a hen, but with a "beard", which is a characteristic tuft of feathers on the chest that all male turkeys have, but 10 to 20% of female turkeys have, too) let me get to within about five feet of her, then casually wandered over to the other side of a bush. I walked around the bush to see her better; she wandered back over to the first side of the bush. We did this a few more times before I figured it out. (Wild turkeys are smart; humans can be a bit dim at times.)

No real fear of humans -- the turkey must know that she's living in an office park, and Massachusetts game laws don't allow hunting within city limits.

Comments

[jehanna.livejournal.com]

If you like wild turkeys, come visit Barre sometime. We see flocks of them regularly. Sometimes they like to hang out in the middle of the road. I've seen people have to actually get out of their cars and shoo them off to be able to continue driving.

[porcinea.livejournal.com]

Oh my, yes. Wild turkeys hunt you.

[mittelbar.livejournal.com]

Hee hee! Turkey Boy.

[angelovernh.livejournal.com]

you talked turkey, huh ? (sorry, couldn't resist) :)
so what did she tell you??

[sunspiral.livejournal.com]

We've had one walk right through our yard in Melrose. Being a city kid, I was completely amazed.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

And you live like a dozen blocks from us. So, we could conceivably have one wander by our house, too!