I spend a considerable amount of time out doors, during that time I normally have my bird books and binoculars around my neck. It's amazing to me how I can sit on my river side porch, sometimes with my Ukulele, banjo or guitar. Just like seen on TV, an old guy making bad music on a beautiful day. I watch the birds, a lot, starlings, hawks, turkey vultures and the great american wild turkey. Benjamin Franklin suggested the eastern wild turkey be the symbol of the new United States government, obviously he was over ruled, the Bald Eagle was chosen in it's stead.
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They are majestic birds occupying the same spot in the bird
kingdom as the Peacock. The pale color head tells us he is
at the peak of breeding season, it takes the color right out of
him I guess. |
I have made an observation this year, there appears to be less birds this year (2017) than normal. I see no Mud Hens (the American
Coot), normally there are several thousand on the slough acting like an organized miniature army. Red Wing Blackbirds were eradicated by the West Nile virus and appear to be making a slow come back. The Red Tail Hawks, I have in years past seen two active breeding pairs, they are still around somewhere. Two summers ago one pair roosted in a 50 foot tall "snag", about 20 feet from their nest in another tree, they have bred there for about 3 years. The snag had to go, it was cut down because it was an actual hazard, out buildings were close and the road is within 30 feet of it, if it fell it would take the power line down and block the road. The rancher cut it down, I agreed with him, the Hawks did not they relocated to a big steel 15kv power structure about 1/3 mile away. They had their brood last summer and did not return this year, they are in the wild somewhere. We have Peahen's and Peacock's running around here as well, they compete with the wild turkeys in our small island, Peacock's are noisy as all get out, day and night and are thriving, most likely due to being semi-domesticated.
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Similar in size and feeding habits, they are very much alike, the
Peacock is a native of India the Turkey of North America. |
Even the shore birds are in smaller numbers, we are 40 miles from the ocean we do see sea lions as well as the birds, however this year few birds and no sea lions. My attention has been on the wild turkey's that numbered in the 30-50 range last winter during the rains. (the flock that frequents this part of the island) This year I saw zero until 3 days ago, I then saw a female with 4 wild turkey chicks directly behind her, they appear to have hatched around the end of March. (My observation) I'm sure there are many more in the wooded areas. The question I have is "What causes the flock to disappear during the summer?" If you're interested click
here for more information on the summer turkey.
There are times we see the male wild turkey's out strutting their stuff in the middle of June, sometimes even until the first day of July. They will gobble as they are still seeking females to fill out their brood, as spring comes to a close and summer begins it's full swing, there are less females available. Still the males have the biological urge to mate, as do some females, when the wild turkey chicks hatch in August, the normal cycle for those females of that brood will begin in June. That's understandable, but, what about the males that gobble during July and August? Just like people, some male wild turkey's are just out right noisy and may just like the sound of their own voice. Some people like to call turkey's for various reasons, I do it to prove to them I'm smarter than they are, others are photographers or hunters and some are like the turkey's they like to hear themselves call out. Maybe like boy scouts on a camp out with the "wolf howls" until midnight.
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| I don't think he's calling Turkey's, like most youngster's he's just howling. |
It's not good to call them, the american wild turkey is not as dumb as we would like to believe, (hence my comment about being smarter than they are), they learn to equate the "false" gobbles with "crying wolf" and will ignore them just when they are needed. They don't really "disappear during the early summer month's, especially following a winter of heavy rains, there is a lot of water which turns into lot's of food in the isolated areas. The wild turkey's have a limited range of about one square mile, they will share their habitat with other turkey's, but the curious thing is the male wild turkey acts as if it is all alone, they ignore the other's, as long as their breeding brood is complete. The male wild turkey does not participate in the rearing or overseeing of the wild turkey chicks. When we see a flock of turkey's at a feeding spot during the summer, the females and the chicks are there intentionally, the male is there as a coincidence, when it happens the males act like no one else exist. They are different birds during the summer than they are during the fall and winter. They don't fight during the summer it's a waste of energy better spent during mating season, besides they can be seriously injured. As with all wild animals fighting is avoided at all costs, running away during the off season is the strategy they employ. However when challenged the male turkey will not back down or even step back, he has to maintain his pecking order for intimidation reasons year around. So during the summer they (a practice I have not witnessed) gobble, strut and do a little intimidating but little else. Click
here for an interesting paper on why some species of animals do not cause injury to each other.
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A few ways to call turkey's, I'm not sure the wolf pup would be
helped out by any of them, there is a technique to their use. |
So what is up with the wild male turkey? Nothing is up with them, they are being their normal selves, I believe for some reason this year I am on a higher level of awareness or something. The all american wild turkey is safe and sound on the island as I suspect they are everywhere else as well. I have never seen a wild turkey road kill, ever, they are always in the road, but even on busy roads I've never seen one dead on the road side. That may be a better title for this blog "why don't wild turkey's get hit by cars?" My answer with a shrug of the shoulders and a I don't know why that is, my wife Kate is more logical than I, she say's "cars stop for turkey's." You know what, she's right, everyone stops for the turkey's, is that what you've seen?
Nothing is happening with the turkey's, self propagated problem is solved, now I can move on to subjects such as "what is that crazy squirrel doing with all of my apples?" Thanks for reading comment about the turkey's around your place, they are fun to watch and talk about. Share my blog please, I need more readers. Thank you
jacquesandkate
emergencykitsplus.com
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