By Darcy Thomas
Project FeederWatch has been extra entertaining lately because of a Tom turkey who has decided that he and his harem own the neighborhood. He parades his girls from home to home, foraging along the way.
I wish I had a video to share of him chasing my husband as he scrambles from the house to his shop. Rob runs as fast as his 77-year-old legs will carry him, while the Tom aggressively charges him from across the yard. I shouldn’t laugh, because a turkey can cover distance quickly when asserting dominance over its harem and can cause injury quickly by charging, pecking, and leaping at your face while puffing its feathers, hissing, and lunging. Luckily, Rob has made it to the safety of his shop without harm so far.
This Tom has targeted cars and a few pedestrians; fortunately, I have not heard of any casualties. Despite their beauty, getting chased by one can be an intense, surprisingly fast, and chaotic experience, as these birds weigh up to 20 pounds and have a four-foot wingspan.
Though not quite as thrilling, the rest of my Project FeederWatch time has been endlessly delightful as I watch finches, siskins, chickadees, juncos, sparrows, and nuthatches, which never lose their appetite for a good meal.