Turkeys in the snow!

I was talking to one of my friends on the phone, wandering around the great room in the church, as I normally do when on the phone and happened to glance out one of the windows. Those dark blobs in the snow in the photo above are what I saw.

I was so excited, I nearly dropped the phone. "Turkeys," I yelled in the phone. "What?" responded my friend.

"Turkeys... in the field across the road, I wonder if I can get a picture." She knows me well. "You go and get your picture, we'll talk later." We hung up, she is so patient I thought as I ran searching everywhere for my camera which of course was not at hand. For once I found it quickly and ran out with the dogs at my heels.

"You're not coming," I said shutting the door on them, trying to get my camera focused and running in my sandals, socks, sweater and tights - not well dressed for - 8C and snow. But still - it was turkeys! How often have I seen them lately? And right across the road.

So I snapped a few pictures and then crossed the road, salt and sand drenching my toes in the slush... oh well, I could wash the socks and the sandals had seen much worse. I got closer.

One turkey looked up, two others of this small group continued digging up beans. I think the field had soy beans in it last year and over the hill is a stand of pines that turkeys love to perch in. Perfect turkey habitat.

I counted more than two dozen before they realized I was getting closer.

They were pretty scattered across the field, but very close to the road, unusual for these birds.




Oooops! They were now on high alert and the ones closest to the road were moving off.

I backed away just as I saw "The March" to safety begin.

The video is a bit jerky as I tried to find them all - but funny just the same as they seemed all organized to go in one direction, then they began to scatter to the four winds. That's when I backed away...

and they marched off towards the woods beyond. However an hour later, after I'd downloaded the photos and was beginning to write this, I saw several of them back again. It's cold out there and they must be hungry. Such a treat to see these big birds.

There are lots of them since the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources re-introduced them to the Valley - they are often hunted in the spring. But frankly who would want to eat one of those tough birds... they work hard to survive! More stringy muscle than tasty tissue to my way of thinking. However, today no one is out with a gun or a bow and the snow keeps on coming down, winter is just started. Going to be white for a while I suspect. One of the joys of living in Canada and in the country. And turkeys to add fun to my day! As I said what a treat!