Wild Turkeys
by Patricia Cummings
photo by James Cummings
A wild hen turkey by the side of the road in Maine
Once a rare sight in my lifetime, wild turkeys have made a comeback in New England, to the point that they invade backyards in urban places and have even been known to "get after" young children.
They have been the cause of many accidents and at least one fatality when flying in front of a motorcycle, unexpectedly. The hens travel together, except during mating season. Of course, the male birds are more magnificent, due to their size and much fuller plumage.
On Thanksgiving Day, a flock of wild turkeys were seen on a television station, apparently "waiting for a train" at a train station in, or near, Boston.
On the day that the above photo was taken, in early autumn 2006, the rest of the hens had already headed for cover. We pulled to the side of the road and watched as this inquisitive bird, shown above, walked in front of our car and kept returning to the middle of the road to peck at something. Further up the road, there was proof of what happens to birds who develop that kind of a habit. Her "sister" was squashed flatter than a pancake, with only feathers remaining.
We always enjoy spotting wildlife, even if they are sometimes a menace to road safety. We have seen a bear, eating vegetation, close to the guard rail of the road in the Franconia Notch area of New Hampshire; and a mother bear and her two cubs who crossed the road, not far from our home, on a side road near the city water reservoir, "Penacook Lake," or "Long Pond," depending on how long a person has lived in the city of Concord.
We have seen a moose, eating water weeds, near Jackson, NH, and one crossed the road, right in front of our car, in Deerfield, NH. Another time, we saw a moose romping through a swampy area, north of Centre Harbor. People in northern New Hampshire are more likely to see large wildlife more often, sometimes too often, like the lady I know who has bears venturing onto her porch, looking to have "tea and crumpets." Of course, Jim always has his camera ready to go, and in this case, he got lucky in being able to capture a wild turkey on film.
©Copyright 2006-2009. Patricia and James Cummings, Quilter's Muse Publications, Concord, NH. pat@quiltersmuse.com