Turkey Trot
Wild turkey - Backyard - 11/20/25 Nikon Z8 with Z 100-400@ 400mm 1/800 sec, f/6, ISO 1100
Do Wild turkeys not have a calendar? Has no-one told these birds that we are only 1 week away from Thanksgiving (aka “Turkey-day”)! My first chore of the day was to empty the husks out of the platform feeder we have set up in the back yard and then refill said feeder. I went out to the edge of the yard and knocked out the refuse from the tray against a Norway maple’s trunk. Apparently, there was a bit more than just the black-oil sunflower remains….must of still been some full seeds in that mess.
I came back to the stanchion that supports the tray, refilled the feeder and remounted the tray. I went back into the house to retrieve two more bags of safflower and finch feed for two smaller window feeders. I came back out of the house (no more than 5 minutes had passed since I emptied the platform feeder) and immediately noticed a Wild turkey checking out the remains deposited there a few minutes earlier. It was like he was waiting for me to dump the tray and call him in for breakfast! In less than a minute, the word was out and the back yard was abuzz (agobble?) with activity.
“Rafter” of Wild turkeys - Backyard - 11/20/25 Nikon Zfc with Z DX 50 - 250 mm zoom lens. 1/1250 sec, f/7.1, ISO 8000
Within minutes, there were 12 Wild turkeys scratching through the leaves and gathering as many of the remaining Black-oil seeds as they could muster. Most were concentrated under the tree where I had dumped the husks, but others were scratching through the nearby brush pile in search of whatever else might be available.
It was then that the turkeys decided to put on a little show for me. Four of the gobblers began to circle the tree’s base not once but continously for a minute or so. I ran to get my camera from the dining room, quietly opened the window and hoped for a repeat performance. Sure enough, as if not to disappoint, the birds began their “Turkey trot” again…..not as long this time, but long enough for me to grab a quick video for sharing on this post. Check below for the “show”.
Following their little dance recital, they peeled off and headed back out to the field behind our home. One bird, however, decided that there were still more spoils to be had and hung out all by herself under the tree for just a few more bites. Strange behavior to be sure and all the more enjoyable given the timing so close to Thanksgiving. Nature is always full of surprises!
