Turkey Trot & Pecking Order

Our turkeys came in this morning. I say "our turkeys" as if we own them. In reality they pass through our property on a fairly regular schedule. (And I say "our property" as if we own it! The bank lets us stay here because we are faithful to pay our mortage. But I digress.) The turkeys' arrival time was around 7:00 a.m. every morning--that is, until yesterday, when they arrivd around 9:00 a.m. Today, again, it was the later hour for their arrival. Thomas and I were still savoring the morning coffee when they arrived, still in our bathrobes since Friday is my day off.

The turkeys, four in number in this group, come running into our yard along the edge of the woods always moving from the north toward the south. Watching them you know where the term 'turkey trot' originated. They come at a fairly rapid pace, actually running, sort of high stepping and waddeling from side to side, because they know they will find good scratch scattered in the clearing. (Thomas regularly puts out a variety of seeds and nuts and a salt block for the animals. One family in the church even gave us two bags of feed for Valentine's Day.)

I have to admit, turkeys look a little wierd with their big bodies, carried on those tiny little sticks that pass for legs. They are strange looking birds, but their feathers are beautiful and when the sun shines on their backs the gleam is magnificant. Thomas wondered today if turkeys are kin to vultures since both birds have no feathers on their heads. An item to be researched, perhaps.

Watching them scratch and peck you observe 'pecking order,' the larger bird dominant and, at times, aggressive. Today a grey squirrel joined the flock--if you can imagine! In fact, the squirrel got right up under one of the turkeys. Sort of like that scene in the movie where Chevy Chase drives his car under a truck. Anyway, that arrangement with Squirrel under Turkey didn't last long. Turkey let Squirrel know very quickly that this was improper pecking order. But, for some unknown reason, Squirrel kept inching closer and closer to Turkey--and that's when we saw a new version of leap frog. I guess you might call it 'leap squirrel' because with a flurry of feathers and a flapping of wings Turkey made it over the annoying squirrel, and Squirrel made a hasty retreat. (Thomas and I are easily entertained!)

When the turkeys finally wandered off and disappeared into the woods the smaller birds returned. And by then, our coffee cups needed to be refilled.