Well, you learn something new every day-especially if you're on 365! I was all set to state I'd taken a shot of an herbivore the other day, when I learned this from Wikkipedia:
Wild turkeys are omnivores, foraging on the ground or climbing shrubs and small trees to feed. They prefer eating hard mast such as acorns, nuts, and various trees, including hazel, chestnut, hickory and pinyon pine as well as various seeds and berries such as juniper, and bearberry, roots and insects. Turkeys also consume amphibians and small reptiles such as lizards and snakes once in a while. Wild turkeys often feed in cow pastures, sometimes visit backyard bird feeders, and favor croplands after a harvest to scavenge seed on the ground. Turkeys are also know to eat a wide variety of grasses.
Met this fellow when I came home from swimming yesterday. I don't think he really looked both ways before he crossed the street. It's a good thing I was watching out for him. I'm told the wild ones don't taste as good as the ones you get from the butcher or supermarket, so I'm glad I didn't have to pick him up off the street!
Excellent capture ... love the angle that you took of him. He looks like he's pretty sure of himself strutting along. He seems fearless, doesn't he? As for his diet ... well, I'd rather eat a store-bought turkey, I think!
Thank you one and all! He was traveling with a group of friends who followed right behind. But they were quite nervous about the big red machine which was slowly inching up toward them, so I didn't get a good shot of the group. But their fearless leader didn't seem to mind my car or my camera as much.
@henrir Thanks Henri! I didn't know it either until I decided I should confirm what I thought they were- herbivore. But I was wrong; they are ominivores, not herbivores. Herbivores only eat plant material.
I have never seen a turkey in the wild. He is quite a beast! Did you know Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey rather than the bald eagle to be our national symbol? He mistakenly thought the turkey was crafty and wise. That was apparently one of the very few mistaken ideas Franklin held. Fortunately he lost out to the eagle partisans and the rest, as they say, is history.
Actually, fresh shot turkey is really yummy. One Thanksgiving, my dad opened his back door and shot one with his bow and arrow and we had it for dinner along with a bird that came from the store. The fresh one was better. I never knew that turkeys ate any form of animal though! I thought they only ate leafy stuff and seeds. So you taught me something new! This is a fantastic shot of Tom Turkey! I am seeing these birds everywhere I go these days. Don't they realize the season is coming where people can start eating them?? They should be hiding!! This is such a great photo! The detail is excellent and so is the focus! Excellent capture!!
@allie912 Thanks Allison- being that I am living in Pennsylvania near Philadelphia, I am aware of Mr. Franklin's desires for the national bird. Being that I am actually a transplant from New Jersey makes me glad that cooler heads prevailed! It's a great story though, isn't it? @jsorensenart Thanks Jake! Yes, it is, but we won't be eating this fellow. Apparently the wild ones don't taste that good! @tanja_1211 It sounds like the ones where you are are smarter than the ones here! They roam all over the place and you do have to watch out for them. @prttblues Thanks Bev! I had always heard that they are tough, but I guess it really depends on what they eat- just like chickens. Wow- that must have been something with your Dad just plucking one out of the backyard! @eniaral Thanks Laraine! Only this one- the others scurried across like scared rabbits.
Hans just said yesterday that he hadn't seen any wild turkeys around this year...I guess they're all in Rick's @digitalrn and your area.. well we have enough Canada geese here to make up for it. a wonderful shot Ann. I like the way he is calmly walking on the road. nice background too.
@digitalrn I'm pretty sure they hide from all the hunters at my bird feeder! @bkbinthecity Thanks Brian- I've learned a lot too! @pjonas Thanks Patty! @daisy Thanks Kathryn- I didn't know either! @bruni Thanks Bruni!- I'll try to catch a few and send them up to you!
He looks... big! I've never seen a wild turkey before. Actually, the only ones I've seen are frozen and well wrapped in the supermarket freezers. Great shot!
Wow, great capture of this beautiful wild turkey, Ann. Brings to mind that famous joke: Why did the turkey cross the road? Answer: So Ann could get an amazing photo op for today ;-)
@lyno thanks Lyn! Their faces aren't that pretty, but yes their tail feathers are! @dmariewms He does Marie- can't you tell! Thanks! @myautofocuslife Thanks Livia! Those are probably the domestic kind- but they're related! @sangwann Thanks Dione! @cimes1 Carole you are too funny!! @mhatch Thanks Mark! I've seen deer in the city, so I guess turkeys could find their way there too. @ulpiphotos Thanks Ulpi!
This is a great shot. What is it with all these turkeys walking around in the road. lol (my shot a couple weeks ago) I really like how colorful he is. Thats like mine I took a pic of what I thought were jakes (young turkeys) but turned out to be hen, fyi my hubby lol Yes, I'm so glad you watched to see he made it okay :-) Protect the wild :-)
@vposey Thanks Vickie! Stopping and watching to see if the turkey is ok= a good shot for 365! Trying to shoot the picture while moving slooooowly past the turkey= blurry turkey shot as turkey runs away from supposed predator! There were actually four of them but I liked this one best because he's in stride.
@kerristephens Thanks Kerri!
@maggiemae Thanks Maggie!
@welcometocarolworld Thanks Carol!
@salza Thanks Sally!
@tara11 Thanks Tara!
@karenann Thanks Karenann!
@httpgeffed Thanks Colleen! lol You are a wordsmith!!
Thank you one and all! He was traveling with a group of friends who followed right behind. But they were quite nervous about the big red machine which was slowly inching up toward them, so I didn't get a good shot of the group. But their fearless leader didn't seem to mind my car or my camera as much.
@olivetreeann - great find and very well captured.
@jsorensenart Thanks Jake! Yes, it is, but we won't be eating this fellow. Apparently the wild ones don't taste that good!
@tanja_1211 It sounds like the ones where you are are smarter than the ones here! They roam all over the place and you do have to watch out for them.
@prttblues Thanks Bev! I had always heard that they are tough, but I guess it really depends on what they eat- just like chickens. Wow- that must have been something with your Dad just plucking one out of the backyard!
@eniaral Thanks Laraine! Only this one- the others scurried across like scared rabbits.
@bkbinthecity Thanks Brian- I've learned a lot too!
@pjonas Thanks Patty!
@daisy Thanks Kathryn- I didn't know either!
@bruni Thanks Bruni!- I'll try to catch a few and send them up to you!
@dmariewms He does Marie- can't you tell! Thanks!
@myautofocuslife Thanks Livia! Those are probably the domestic kind- but they're related!
@sangwann Thanks Dione!
@cimes1 Carole you are too funny!!
@mhatch Thanks Mark! I've seen deer in the city, so I guess turkeys could find their way there too.
@ulpiphotos Thanks Ulpi!
@lisjam1 Thanks Lisa! I didn't know that either.