FEB. 5, 2022
INVADERS’ CONFLICT
First the flock of fourteen, our local Wild Turkeys, arrived at 910AM. They proceeded to glean every sunflower chip on the ground in front of our house. The back garden is more enclosed and they do not go back there, coming and leaving via the street in front of our home. They stayed about 20 minutes. While present none of the smaller birds, nor squirrels, appeared, though a squirrel was feeding greedily (that’s redundant in squirreldom) behind the house. Then the invasive collared-dove pair arrived and tried to horn in. The bold one was repeatedly chased into the air by the younger turkeys. As soon as the turkeys left the Mourning Doves and songbirds returned.
I suspect these turkeys have a fairly large territory, maybe a square mile or more. I know they have been seen at least ten blocks from here. This is their first appearance here this month. So far I have not seen these turkeys more than two days in a row without a turkey hiatus. (Hiatus is not a dish to be served without rice or couscous.)
Turkeys returned at 10AM, relaxed and slept on our lawn (full stomachs), then departed after 1030AM. No sign of a peacock today.
Late morning I was working in garden. Pair of CB Chickadees ignored me and landed on suet feeder six feet away, dined & departed. Bushtits arrived and conducted their usual frantic scattering to all feeders and shrubs and possible perches, motion seeming their man motivation.
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Wild Turkey 14
Mourning Dove
Collared-Dove 2
Crow 3
Scrub -jay 6
Steller’s Jay 2
Bushtit 20
CB Chickadee 2
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
Junco
GC Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
YR Warbler 1
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