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

[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!