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csziggy

(34,120 posts)
Mon Aug 4, 2014, 06:17 PM Aug 2014

Wild Turkeys in my front yard!

No pictures, unfortunately. Three adult wild turkeys and seven small poults, about as small as I've ever seen baby turkeys. All look very healthy. Two of the adults were about ten feet out from the front steps so about 22 feet from where I stood inside the front door. The hen and youngsters were up the hill about 40 feet away at a bad angle for viewing.

It's a very grey day here. I could have gotten pictures of two of the adults but the hen with the poults was under the shade of the live oak at a very bad angle. I'll have to leave the camera out handy and hope they come by on a sunnier day and that I will see them out in the open.

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Wild Turkeys in my front yard! (Original Post) csziggy Aug 2014 OP
Awww shenmue Aug 2014 #1
The babies were so cute - I wish I could have gotten photos csziggy Aug 2014 #2
Squee! shenmue Aug 2014 #3
Netflix: My Life as a Turkey ...must watch great doc. L0oniX Aug 2014 #4
Oh yes, I've seen that csziggy Aug 2014 #5

csziggy

(34,120 posts)
2. The babies were so cute - I wish I could have gotten photos
Mon Aug 4, 2014, 06:44 PM
Aug 2014

I may get a chance later this week. Usually the turkeys establish a circuit around the farm and stick to a schedule for making it. Tomorrow I have to run errands but later in the week if we stay quiet at the house, the turkeys will probably come back by.

What's funny is that my cat was sleeping in a chair on the front porch - that may be why the possible tom turkey (not sure if it was but it had more color on the head and a bigger tail) was hanging around clucking towards the house. The cat never noticed - he stayed sound asleep.

Here's a picture of baby turkeys about the age of the ones I saw - NOT my picture:

http://www.kissimmeeprairiefriends.org/prairie-blog/the-wild-turkeys-of-kissimmee-prairie

csziggy

(34,120 posts)
5. Oh yes, I've seen that
Mon Aug 4, 2014, 09:18 PM
Aug 2014

It's a great documentary. The whole thing can be seen at: http://video.pbs.org/video/2168110328/

The book it is based on is great, too. "Illumination in the Flatwoods" is the original story of Joe Hutto imprinting the baby turkeys and living with them for a year. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/review-of-illumination-in-the-flatwoods-128684565/

The documentary is a recreation using an actor: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/my-life-as-a-turkey/joe-hutto-answers-your-questions/7389/

Hutto originally imprinted the turkeys near here - he lived southeast of Tallahassee while I live northeast of town. The film was made in south central Florida, probably because Hutto had moved by then or because it was more convenient for the film makers.

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