MYGDFTD: Turkey Crossing Guard

[jesse_the_k]

I love the geography here: four lakes, several rivers and creeks, many green spaces — municipal parks, a dozen golf courses, the UW’s Arboretum — providing habitat for beavers, cranes, coyotes, foxes, muskrats, in addition to the typical suburban deer, squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, geese and ducks.

In the last decade the wild turkey population has exploded (no hunting allowed in the city). I turned a corner yesterday on my way home from the pool and encountered these five wild turkeys moseying around on a suburban sidewalk.

Neither my presence nor my chair’s motor spooked them. I scooted out into the street which seemed to signal "time to cross!" There wasn’t much traffic, but I kept pace as they crossed holding my hand up high to alert drivers.

An hour later they were walnut snacking on my neighbor’s lawn.

MYGDFTD = my good deed for the day.

What was yours?

Comments

[boxofdelights]

Hee! I love the image of you escorting wild turkeys across the street.

We read A Sand County Almanac in book group last month. There were moments when I was thinking, "Yes, Aldo, it is called biodiversity!" but it is still very worth reading. I'm still mulling over the bit where he's talking about how passing laws to require conservation practices can backfire, and offering financial incentives for conservation can backfire, and what we need is a belief that we do these things because these are the things that good people, good neighbors, good farmers, good citizens do.

Now I'm reading Nature's Best Hope, by Doug Tallamy, about creating green spaces like you describe, in our cities and in our yards, to allow wildlife to share the planet with us.

[jesse_the_k]

Aldo Leopold is a minor god in these parts -- sounds like a book worth listening to while I roll around admiring the landscape.

and our library system has three different audiobooks -- one narrated by Stewart Udall!

[sasha_feather]

Lovely photo! What a cool encounter.

[jesse_the_k]

...and unlike our resident geese, they don't poop all over!

[pauraque]

Turkeys! We saw a big flock of them in a field the other week.

[jesse_the_k]

I don't know if there are different breeds of turkeys -- our local ones are not skilled flyers. Getting to the top level of a split-rail fence is An Achievement. The only flocking I've seen is walking.

[pauraque]

Oh, I didn't mean they were flying! Ours were also just walking. Around here people use 'flock' for any group of birds, even if they stay on the ground.

A Drudge of Lexicographers say ... a flock of camels!

[jesse_the_k]

Makes sense.

I love this about English -- so many breed-specific collective nouns.

Historically, a herd was any group of animals traveling or eating together, as was a flock, and this jumble continued on into the modern era. Herd, a word most people associate with deer, horses, or cattle, has been used of porpoises, seals, and birds, and flock, a word we now associate with sheep and birds, has been used of elephants, lions, camels, and pigs.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/a-drudge-of-lexicographers-presents-collective-nouns

[tarasacon]

It’s the turkey parade! I’m trying to imagine what flags you should have, as the grand marshal. :)

When I lived in Concord, CA we were near an open space and ultimately had a ginormous flock of turkeys that frequented the yard. (Since we fed all the birds. They love cracked corn.) They’re messy birds. I’m willing to bet that your city is going to be fighting for ways to reduce the numbers soon.

[jesse_the_k]

Right now the city is focusing on reducing goose poop in the parks. No cattle dogs yet, more's the pity, cause they're effective as heck.

They have added goose-hostile statuary near favorite lurking spots. As evidenced in this realistic statue of a coyote next to lifeguard's platform at Wingra Beach.

[tarasacon]

*falls over laughing*

I bet someone ends up getting a picture of a turkey perching on that statue. I doubt it will take them long to figure out it’s harmless.

[jesse_the_k]

I'll be on the lookout.

[duskpeterson]

I love your casual remark, "typical suburban deer." As though all of us are that lucky. :)

I've never seen wild turkey! I think I assumed they were solely domesticated.

[jesse_the_k]

Based on what I've seen of the wild ones, the domestication wasn't hard. They seem to be birds of very little brain.

Human landscape architecture is supermarkets for deer. They're pretty to watch in motion. Sadly, they host deer ticks, which carry Lyme disease, epidemic in our state.

[duskpeterson]

"Sadly, they host deer ticks, which carry Lyme disease, epidemic in our state."

Yeah, mine too. It's been a long time since I felt safe walking in the woods, except in the dead of winter.

[tarasacon]

They will congregate in any place that has sufficient open spaces (including forest), whether large parks, or areas fenced off around power and water processing facilities. And then they spread out to anyplace in walking distance, and if it’s relatively undisturbed &/or there’s food, it becomes another location to frequent.

[duskpeterson]

Oo, cool!

[tarasacon]

My good deed for the day was for myself. I walked to the library to renew my library card for another 3 years. It was a big excursion for me.

[jesse_the_k]

Fabulous!

[ex_flameandsong751]

-happy noises-

[jesse_the_k]

Gobble Gobble Gobble.

[sonia]

Thanks for the photo and story!

MGDFTD was participating in a conversation that might possibly open the door to some conflict resolution. A good time for teshuvah even though none of the other people are Jewish as far as I know.

Shana Tova! Wishing you a year of sweetness and health (whatever that means to you).

[jesse_the_k]

May you all have concord!

[isis]

Oh, cool! There are wild turkeys here but rare to see.

[jesse_the_k]

What's common to see round your mountains?

[forests_of_fire]

that's neat!

[jesse_the_k]

<3

[sovay]

I scooted out into the street which seemed to signal "time to cross!" There wasn’t much traffic, but I kept pace as they crossed holding my hand up high to alert drivers.

I think it is wonderful that you have now been a turkey escort.