Turkey in the hood!

This handsome fellow was strolling across the street in front of my house yesterday.  Pretty cute, huh?

He has a rather intriguing looking face, wouldn't you say?

I was sitting near the window with Socrates when I noticed him walking between the fences.  Luckily I had my camera in hand, and managed to snap off a few shots.

I never noticed how beautiful their feathers were before.  They almost look metallic in this light.  The pattern is pretty amazing, too.

Seeing Wild Turkeys in your yard is one of the joys of living near the Hultmann Aqueduct!

A Barking Bird!

Madera Canyon held a few more surprises for us during the few hours we spent there.  You'd think an Elegant Trogan, a Painted Redstart, A Bridled Titmouse, an Acorn Woodpecker, and dozens of Mexican Jays would be more than enough for any birder - especially since every one was a life-lister for both of us.  But soon after the Trogon left I heard what sounded like loud barking coming from high in the trees above.  A moment later I caught sight of a HUGE bird in the tree, and whatever kind of bird it was, it was definitely the source of the barking!

By the time I saw a second monstrous bird hidden in the foliage, my mind was jumping to outrageous conclusions at the speed of sound.  "it must be a Crested Caracara,' I thought, 'or something else equally exotic and rare!'  After all, it was a MASSIVE bird that was making the strangest and loudest sound ever heard!  Imagine my surprise to finally get the bird in focus and discover it was a very familiar looking Wild Turkey.  Evidently the Wild Turkeys in Arizona don't make the 'gobble gobble' sound we're used to hearing in Massachusetts.  In Arizona, the turkeys BARK!

There were other familiar birds that acted much more normally.  We saw plenty of finches.

We saw a nuthatch or two.

And our last life-lister for the day was a Lesser Goldfinch.  This isn't the greatest picture of one, but I can personally attest to the fact tat they are much smaller than regular goldfinches.

And throughout the day we had to marvel at the unparalleled beauty of this gorgeous place.  It was pretty close to being in paradise!

Ever since I left Arizona, all I can think about is going back!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Wishing Everyone a Happy Turkey Day!


Wild Turkey at Nauset beach September 2010


Wild Turkey at Nauset beach September 2010


Wild Turkey at Broadmoor Audubon Sanctuary 03/2010


Wild Turkey off Grove Street in Framingham, MA.

Cormorants on a boat and turkeys at the beach!

I bet the owners wouldn't find this as amusing as I do!


The ranger at the Cape Cod National Seashore parking lot pointed out this Wild Turkey to us when he saw our cameras.


Evidently he is a daily visitor, and not a bit shy.


My question is this: Why does this Wild Turkey have a red head, but the Wild Turkeys in my back yard all have blue heads? Any ideas?

Happy Thanksgiving!

These Wild Turkeys visited us last fall, only a few months after we moved in. They were one of our first encounters with The Nature of Framingham. I may have posted their pictures previously, but I find the images delightful and very appropriate for Thanksgiving day.


Today, I'm very thankful that I can look out my dining room window and see a face like this one - even if it happens only once in a great while. What marvelous creatures share this corner of the world with us!


Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Can I kill a Mockingbird?

What I love most about my new house is all the wildlife right in my own backyard. I especially love all the birds. I've been a birder all my life (although not a very good birder, I admit!), but here in Framingham it was like having my own sanctuary! Flocks of cardinals, titmouse, chickadees, juncos, sparrows and even robins were always around, as were all sorts of woodpeckers (including a red bellied woodpecker and a flicker), plus a family of crows and a pair of blue jays (I love corvids!), and many more. I've seen an amazing collection of birds of prey, too, and even FIVE giant sized wild turkeys right around Thanksgiving time.

Red Bellied Woodpecker:

This is not a great picture of a red tailed hawk because it's taken from behind - but look at that cute face:
These days, however, my feeders are empty more often than not. Instead of having hundreds of birds, I have ONE bird. I'd like to introduce you to my nemesis; the mockingbird:

He is invincible! He chases away every bird from every feeder in the yard! He even zoomed in on the cat, and scared it half to death. I've tried giving him his own feeder, giving him 1/2 the yard to himself . . . but he still prevails.

I didn't even know what kind of bird it was when I first saw him. He was all puffed up from the cold, and looked like this:

I thought it was a shrike, but it wasn't. Just a mockingbird. I never hated a bird before, but I do now. He won't let anyone eat, whether he wants the food or not. And everyone is afraid of him, even larger birds scatter when he swoops in on them.
Next weekend, all the feeders are coming down for a while. It breaks my heart, but I've been told it may be the only way of regaining my beloved backyard sanctuary!