This spring I’ve had a weird obsession with the turkeys living in my backyard. About a year ago, I watched a male turkey strut his stuff in the field behind our house. With his chest puffed out, his tail feathers enshrining him, and shimmering iridescently in the sun, he paced back and forth while two female turkeys pretending not to notice. I watch this sad state of affairs far too long and then just felt bad for the guy. Clearly, these coy ladies who would glance his way and then turn away were not interested.

About six weeks later a female turkey trotted through my yard followed by a flock of chicks. His display had actually worked. Since that time we have had 11 turkeys living in our yard. They sleep about 40-feet up in the trees behind my neighbor’s house. They lay claim to the yard throughout the day perched on the fence between our yard and my other neighbor’s. In winter they leave tracks in the snow. And, earlier this year one female turkey chased me out of my own backyard—a display of both her character and mine that I […]