We have baby turkeys everywhere. The hens seem to gather in groups (possibly related groups), and the chicks of each hen mingle with each other. Just let one hen stray away, however, and the chicks instantly sort themselves out and follow their mama.
I heard turkey alarm calls a while ago and peeked over the edge of the porch to see what was going on. Here's one of the mamas. She was looking alert, peering through the fence at the road on the other side.
Aha! Here's why the family was upset. A neighbor's cat was making its way up the road. (Sorry, it's gray and white and in the shadows, so it's hard to see.)
Once the danger passed, mama decided she wanted to get to the road. However she was too big to fit through the bars of the gate.
Easy solution, fly over the top.
The babies, however, were baffled, and piled up at the bottom of the gate.
Soon enough, however, the chicks were able to slip through and follow mama across the road to the other side.
Just a snippet of country living.
Thanks for the wildlife photos. You do have a way with your photos.
ReplyDeleteI love the wild turkeys! The poults around here hatched in march and are nearly the size of the hens already.
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