Ponder this:

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Morning visitors to our fields

Two toms, one preparing to display...

See how the one on the left angles his display toward his rival?

"Just look at me...I am the handsomest tom in the flock!"

The stately strut dance around each other...
but making sure the ladies see how large and powerful they can make themselves...

Both males displaying like mad and the passing hen, distinctly unimpressed...

20 comments:

Lord Wellbourne said...

Intuitive hen---like most smart women she knows a turkey when she sees one.

Those suckers are all over the place up here. It's illegal in Maine to kill a wild turkey. If one more flock of those arrogant icons tear up my seed beds again I'm afraid there's going to be an unfortunate 'accident'.

threecollie said...

Great pics! Really made me smile and reminded me of the turkeys we used to make in school by tracing our hands and coloring them in.

Recycled Cottage & Garden said...

LW, are we having turkey for Easter?

Joe Todd said...

Just might be time to cook a turkey LOL

Von said...

Whow!Real turkeys in the wild living turkey lives!!!We're impressed!

Barb said...

The female is probably strutting over to the gentle quiet Tom who is in touch with his feminine side...

rachel said...

Amazing. In this country, such a sight would draw a vast crowd of well-wrapped-up men of a certain age with enormous bird-spotting camera lenses, and an excitable wildlife commentator trying to whisper without squealing...

Lord Wellbourne said...

Lady H.--Very likely. Drumstick anyone?

Friko said...

what are those blighters?

Oh, I see, the comments say, that they are wild turkeys. Have you really got that many of them?
We just have pheasants who insist on getting themselves killed on the road.

June said...

Oh LW..."arrogant icons"??? But they were almost the national bird!

Threecollie, glad you liked 'em. I was always torn between coloring mine realistically and making them peacock colors!

Joe! T'ain't the season yet! Izzit?

Von, it's pretty cool to wake up and see these things just wandering around doing their turkey thing. My sleepy eyes took a minute to figure out what those big BALLS were down in the field!

Barb, I'm not sure there's a successful tom anywhere with a feminine side, although their efforts to quickly and smoothly tippytoe-tippytoe-tippytoe toward the hens who passed would certainly make one wonder.

Rachel, clearly, in this country, such a sight "would draw a vast crowd of well-wrapped-up men of a certain age with enormous" shooting apparatus of a different kind!

Friko, Husband counted twenty hens and three toms...so yes, there really are that many...and more out there out of sight.

Lord Wellbourne said...

National Bird indeed--and they're all in Washington D.C. Arrogant because they go wherever they want, destroy whatever they want, and block traffic for hours because they know they can without penalty. I'm referring to the wild turkeys although I suppose that statement can apply to the domesticated ones in D.C.

There are three distinct flocks of about 20 in the vicinity and they are plotting to undo the fiber of civilization so carefully woven here. One of the Toms assaulted a three-year-old boy last week. In his own fenced-in yard. They are avian hooligans I tell you!

Bernie said...

From the comments I am thinking people have many different definitions for turkey. Funny. I can't help wondering if the bigger the fan the better mate it might be or if that matters to a female turkey or not. (That was put as delicately as I could put it.) Thanks for visiting my blog. I liked your description of the sounds.

Anonymous said...

I wish we had them in this area, at least, or golden eagles or even a bald eagle. We don't have anything to compare to the turkeys you got in these photos. I like them.

June said...

LW, the poor little kid! That must have been a pretty terrifying and dangerous experience. Hope the turkey didn't go after the boy with his spurs, or there'd be nothing left!

Bernie, I'm thinkin' the "bigger, better" aspect is the driving force behind the displaying. Although judging from the hens' behavior, and the toms', it's more of an intimidation thing between the males than it is an attraction for the females. The hens almost have little word balloons over their heads: "Oh get over your bad selves..."

Mr. Lincoln, I wish you had them in your area too. I'd love to see your pictures of them!

The whole group is at it again out there this morning.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Ha Ha Ha ---how cute!!!! Just like a man... He struts --and we females just IGNORE..... Love it!!!!
Hugs,
Betsy

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

You can see the female's point . "Hey , look at me " has never been my favourite chat-up line either .
As Nanny always said .... Handsome is as handsome does .

Inay said...

what a wonderful sight...

God bless

this is the sight that cannot be bought

myletterstoemily said...

reminds me of boys in the gym!

5 Kids With Disabilities said...

Beautiful photos of you visitors!
Lindsey Petersen

June said...

Betsy, I wish you could see that tippytoe-tippytoe-tippytoe thing that the males do when one of the hens goes by, "ignoring."

S&S, whatever they're doin' it seems to be workin' for them, I guess.

Inay, you are absolutely right!

Letterstoemily, they are like guys in a gym, all buffed and puffed.

5Kids, thanks. I wish they were better photos. My skill and my camera do not match my ambitions.

And thank you all for coming by and leaving me notes!