For the past few weeks we've been enjoying watching an extended family of wild turkeys make themselves at home on the farm. The group includes a number of hens and their youngsters, which have been cruising across the fields, through the orchards and around the pond. (You may need to click on the photo for a larger image to get a better view.) They tend to be very skittish and wary about people, but seem to have grown quite a bit more comfortable being near us and the house, as you can tell from these photos I took from the back deck one evening.
Here's another view of them the same evening as they headed out around the pond:
We've counted up to 18 little ones, though it's hard to get an accurate count because some are so small you can't see them in the grass, and they are constantly moving. But it's quite a sizeable flock. It used to be that if an adult turkey was down by the pond and even heard us open a door up at the house, they'd turn and flee into the woods. Now they just look up and seem to say, "Oh, it's just them again."
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Please Vote for the Farm!
The latest Shelter Challenge started Monday, July 9 and ends at midnight on September 16. Grand prize in this round is $5,000, plus $1,000 for weekly winners and $1,000 for state winners. There are also other categories ... please see the Shelter Challenge website for details.
*** We are now LISTED UNDER OUR NEW NAME, ROLLING DOG FARM. State is still NH for New Hampshire. ***
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We just won $1,000 as a weekly winner in the last contest, and thousands more in the previous contests. The Shelter Challenge really does bring in a lot of money for the animals here!
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Thank you for your votes!
I have lived on same property for 26 years in CT & we see flocks of wild male & female turkeys just about every season of the year, BUT they have never come thru with babies that we have ever seen! Lucky you!!
Posted by: kathy | July 25, 2012 at 05:17 PM
The pictures are great! We have wild turkeys here in our neighbourhood in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Like Cambridge, they are oblivious to cars and don't get upset at dogs being walked in the neighbourhood. The only complaint by homeowners is that they leave evidence of their passing on the lawns!
Posted by: Jan in Winnipeg | July 25, 2012 at 12:55 PM
Wonderful! A nice Thanksgiving dinner for you and all the dogs, there are a lot of them!
(ha! just kidding!)
Nancy
Posted by: Nancy Kelly | July 25, 2012 at 12:41 PM
It looks like you have at least 2 families?? It's a wonderful place to live for all living creatures! :)
Posted by: Kathleen Rivard | July 25, 2012 at 11:14 AM
Way cool!
Posted by: Laura. Levi & Timmy | July 25, 2012 at 09:53 AM
Very cool to see! Can we trade you some Canadian Geese? :)
Posted by: Margaret | July 25, 2012 at 09:32 AM
How in the world do you folks get anything done with all the very "kewl" distractions you have at RDF?
Between watching the residents and the wildlife I am afraid I would be useless!
Posted by: Mary H./Washington state | July 25, 2012 at 08:56 AM
Even the wild turkeys know that all animals are loved at RDF! :)
Posted by: Ann | July 25, 2012 at 04:32 AM
NEVER a dull moment on the Farm!
Posted by: Shirley * James/Portland, OR | July 25, 2012 at 02:41 AM
We just have doves and quail. The quail have their little ones and they are so much fun to watch. The quail parents are such nervous nellies - I hate it when I count their number of babies, and if there's 8 and two weeks later there's only 6, I get upset. Life in the wild, even in the urban wild, is hard on the wildlife.
Posted by: Linda Murphy | July 24, 2012 at 11:25 PM
Even the wild turkeys are realizing that the "oh, them" people are fellow earth dwellers and ones that mean them no harm. Like AnneAndrew did. Ones with the earth and a love of all the critters that inhabit our world. Rolling Dog Farm calms my soul just knowing you are there and even the wild ones trust you.
Posted by: Anne in FL | July 24, 2012 at 09:21 PM
They're not shy at all down here in Cambridge MA! They walk right through densely populated neighborhoods and stop traffic at intersections, if they're in the mood. They peck away at car bumpers and will jump on the hoods and look at the mirrors.
Say "hey" to them from their city cousins.
Posted by: Janet in Cambridge | July 24, 2012 at 07:24 PM