The "girls" are back in town!

There are only scattered patches of snow left. Waters that are open by mid-afternoon frequently refreeze overnight, only to unfreeze the next day. Local sugar bush are full of buckets. For a pleasant change, late March is behaving about as we would expect late March to behave.

hen turkey scratching under feeder pole

Photo by J. Harrington

Yesterday afternoon, as we were ready to let one of the dogs into the back yard, we noticed we had startled four turkey hens away from the recently exposed pile of sunflower seed droppings that had accumulated over the Winter. We're only too happy to see them and have them scratch and peck and start the cleanup of Winter's messes. There'll be that much less for us to rake clean after the ground has dried out.

hen turkey on deck railing

Photo by J. Harrington

In some years past, an occasional turkey has even volunteered to visit the feeders on the deck to get the seeds before they've fallen to the ground. Is this what they mean by "working with nature?" The turkeys have definitely been less destructive than the visits we've had from bears looking for Spring snacks.

Turkeys

The turkeys wade the close to catch the bees
In the old border full of maple trees
And often lay away and breed and come
And bring a brood of chelping chickens home.
The turkey gobbles loud and drops his rag
And struts and sprunts his tail and then lets drag
His wing on ground and makes a huzzing noise,
Nauntles at passer-bye and drives the boys
And bounces up and flies at passer-bye.
The old dog snaps and grins nor ventures nigh.
He gobbles loud and drives the boys from play;
They throw their sticks and kick and run away.

—John Clare (1793-1864)

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