Wild Turkey

My friend lives in a very lush part of Connecticut. Sitting in the family room, sun room or kitchen, it appears the house is surrounded by woods on three sides. There's a grand array of wildlife that feels at home in the backyard -- and feasts on my friend's garden. Lots of small birds visit the bird feeder including bright red cardinals and these little yellow bodied wingers. Hummingbirds love their feeder by the back door. One baby hummingbird loves to rest in the sun on a tomato cage in the garden.

Running rampant in the yard are a family of squirrels. They like to hang out under the bird feeder and steal any extra food that drops their way. One or two are excellent climbers, shimmy up the pole, and stick their faces right in the feeder while scaring away the birds. At least three chipmunks feel at home on the back deck. One has a squished nose. Another has a rust-colored rump.

And though I haven't seen them yet, I hear tales of at least a dozen deer, a bobcat, a coyote and a wolf that travel down the wooded hill just beyond the lawn's edge. Oh. And deer ticks. Lots of deer ticks.

I've been taking my walks on the streets around the neighborhood. Each day I've gone out, I've come upon wild hares (I have at least one fuzzy photo of the one I saw yesterday). On the same route, I've been told to keep an eye out for a turkey hawk.


But yesterday I had the biggest surprise so far. There were about 40 wild turkeys taking a rest in the sun all over the back yard! Some were right up against the deck. Most were sprinkled over the lawn. Some were playing hide and seek amid the swing set. They scare easily, though. So by the time I got my camera and got close enough to a window to take some photos (lots of reflections, unfortunately), the turkeys had started scampering out of the yard and into the underbrush.

This last guy, though, got busy stealing the squirrels' bird food at the base of the feeder. He hung around long enough for his close-up. Then he stretched out his neck, looked around, and started making noises as he ran towards the woods as if to say, "Hey, guys! Wait up! Don't leave me here with these humans!"