On January 31, four gobblers showed up (see The Gobblers Return). Within a few days, they were gone. I tried to lure them back with a turkey hen call, but no luck. At the end of last week, one gobbler showed up. He was here from morning to night, all alone, primarily hanging around the cabin. Yesterday, when I was doing chores in the main house, at looked out the front door and saw that turkey looking right back at me. A true peeping Tom! And a lonely one with no fellow Toms nor any females around.
Today, Mr. Tom was joined by three other gobblers, most likely the ones who showed up in January. Within an hour, three peahens were on the scene. The males were all gobbling and the peahens making their peahen sound (a cooing/purring combination). Two of the males were displaying their feathers and strutting around. The peahens paying no mind to them.
I tried to get the turkeys to hang out in the sun, but no amount of herding them worked. They always found a shadowed path to get from one part of the meadow area to another. They also are not fond of posing. Although the images are less-than-ideal, you get the idea of their behavior. Over the next coming weeks I will try to do a hidden stakeout to see if I can capture them in the sunlight. Their feathers, snood, and waddle are amazing in the sunlight.
Perhaps in a few months, I will see some baby chicks. Last year I didn't see any, which means the bobcat and fox probably found the chicks before they were able to leave the next.
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