Lone Turkey Shuffles Out of Woods

Turkeys are common in our neck of the woods. At the right times you can see flocks of fifty birds or more as they shuffle through an open field. Mostly, we hear them while the turkeys walk through the woods.

If you sit outside long enough, you’ll be able to hear a gobbler corraling his flock of hens together. A group of twenty or more turkeys will meander through the woods looking for something to eat.

We can hear shuffling sounds as they flip aside and turn over leaves while they march through the forest. Listen long enough and you can find out in which direction the group is headed. Often, the scratching of many feet signals their presence before we hear any gobbling or clucking.

One time I looked onto a corn field from our attic window and saw a huge group of wild turkeys, a few dozen I guess. I wondered if I could hear them making any sounds. I lowered the window and to my delight I heard a clamor of clucks and gobbles. The sounds those big birds were making were unbelieveable! I mean, there were so many turkeys and it seemed as if all of them were telling stories. It was a grey and cold autumn day, and it was drizzling, so maybe they felt safe to be so noisy out there. They really seemed to be enjoying themselves!

I wonder what wild herb this turkey gal is looking for…?

Turkey in the back yard.
Turkey in the back yard.

I didn’t know when I snapped this photo on 6 May 2010 that a whole troup of turkey birds were in the adjacent woods kicking up leaves and eating bugs!