Wildlife, living next to nature

[Gravdigr]

I was on photo safari the other afternoon, and happen to see a couple of turkeys in a field. I stopped and snapped a couple pics, and thought, this road curves around this field, and gets closer. So, I pulled down the road a piece and did get a little closer, about ~200 yards away from them.

It was readily apparent that one of them was a tom because as soon as I stopped GC1, he went full thanksgiving turkey on me and started swelling up. He strutted (literally walking back and forth, vogue-ing in front of his intended), and drummed (that's when the tom drags his wingtips on the ground, while stomping his feet rapidly. This is what makes the hen say "He's for me!!".) for the hen. Every time he got close to her she would lay down almost flat on the ground. He would drum up near her and she would jump and trot a few steps away. She's not quite 'ready', so to speak.

Meanwhile, in the bushes, another hen was taking all this in. She wasn't nearly as picky about things. She came right out and just took the cock, took it, I say. She laid down, and, when tom came up to her she didn't haggle at all, she said "Get after it!", and he did, too.





Now, I'm sure there are lots of pictures of mating wild turkeys, but, I consider myself very lucky to have photographed a mating pair of turkeys, in flagrante delicto, no less.

Hand-held, full 24x zoom, ~200-300 yards out.

[Gravdigr]

Here's an unprocessed screen cap of one of the failures to launch:

[glatt]

That's so freaking cool. Not many wild turkeys around these parts.

[infinite monkey]

I glanced at the second picture and thought it was a turkey on a gorilla.

(sooo sleep deprived I'm hallucinatin')

[Gravdigr]

I've had a little trouble sleeping for the last several days.

Sleep is highly overrated.

[Nirvana]

Were you at my house Grav?

[Nirvana]

Had 4 eggs but only 2 birdies

[Gravdigr]

Originally Posted by Nirvana

Were you at my house Grav?

I didn't think anyone saw me...

[infinite monkey]

This little guy was chillin' outside the Laundromat the other day. I think he might have hit the window and was stunned. He was moving his head around but wasn't flying away. I've never seen a hummingbird standing still. I wasn't sure what to do with him but my brother (biology major type kind of guy who knows a lot about birds) later said it was best I just left him alone. Anyway, he's a beauty.

[Gravdigr]

Very nice!

Slick caught a hummingbird once (Once!), and I managed to get it away before the final blow was dealt. One wing was twisted around on his back, and I put it back gently as I could. It made a little, teeny tweet, and sat there, in the palm of my hand, for just a moment and then flew away.

That was so ƒucking awsome!

[glatt]

He is a beauty. I've never seen one perched.

[Griff]

I had one land on my finger once. He came in the house and got behind a window and couldn't figure out how to get out. I very carefully lifted my finger under him as he hovered. He perched on my finger and I walked him outside. He flew off but circled back around and hovered at eye level inches in front of me. His thank you complete, he blew out of there.

[BigV]

So. Jealous.

[Gravdigr]

Good boy!!!



That kitteh deserves extra treats tonight!

OOhhhooo, fukkin' dope!

[limey]

These three hares are sitting in a line about ten, 20 and 30 feet from my house. They seem to be placed along the line of the outpipe to the septic tank and the last one is more or less on the septic tank hatch. Maybe it's a little bit warmer along that line?