Monday, January 27, 2020

Turkey Invasion



Tradition dictates that we walk the Proctor Trail up to the Whitehouse Picnic area of Madera Canyon each year. 


It was just the two of us strolling along the empty trail early in the morning.  We found ourselves walking with the deer. And eventually....



.....among a lot of Gould's Wild Turkeys!!!  Chicken birds have always captured my interest, even if I've seen them over and over again.  I am still fascinated by the Wild Turkey.  



I took videos of them scratching the dirt.  I can't believe how fortunate we were to be in the middle of the rafter(flock) observing these birds just inches from our bodies. They were not skittish at all. 


There were turkeys along the creek, in trees, resting in the grass, on the trail and around the feeders further up. 


Gould's Wild Turkey
I discovered by accident last year that there is a good spot for small flocking birds like Bridled Titmouse, Townsend's Warbler, the Ocotero(or Olive Warbler) and Elegant Trogon. 

Townsend's Warbler
It was a lovely morning stroll out full of wildlife. Celeste even mentioned that it was like being at a Wildlife Park.  The secret?  Go slow and go before people destroy the magic.  There are so many loud people with annoying kids who chase the wildlife further back into the forests along the hills. On this day though, we didn't see many wild and young human banshees . 



We sat and waited for our male friend, the Elegant Trogon to show up.  It was a lifer for Celeste.  It's amazing how many people dip on this bird.  And in my humble opinion, trogons are much easier to spot in the winter than in the summer when they are on nests. In winter, you don't have to get up early to see them.  But in the spring and summer, it's an early rise for the birder in the dark driving to the canyons to hear them bark out their territories first thing in the morning. 


Elegant Trogon, male
I did a social experiment to really get a feel for how hot certain Arizona species can be for the public.  This above pic received close to 500 likes on a popular Arizona birding fb page while my personal favorites like the Bell's Sparrow or Northern Beardless Tyrannulet got a little over a 100 likes. It just keeps me in check with what bird enthusiasts want to observe.  

Mexican Jays
As we left for the day, we had a pair of Mexican Jays say good-bye.  It was a lovely walk full of beautiful sightings.  Until next time.....

21 comments:

  1. Those turkeys certainly move a lot of earth! They seem to be finding lots of stuff to eat (or maybe sharp pebbles to grind up the food from the feeders). On our trip to SE Arizona we missed the Elegant Trogon until the very last day-- and yes, we did get up early and found a couple going in and out of their nest hole.

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    1. They do! And you can tell when they've been in the area:) Congrats on the trogon!

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  2. OH great tip I'm one of those who dipped in Spring on the Trogon!

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    1. It's not hard to do Sondra. I've done it myself MANY times.

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  3. Piękna wycieczka! Indyków dzikich u nas nie ma. Na pewno to niezwykłe uczucie, kiedy się je spotyka, pomimo, ze są powszechne. I gratuluję obserwacji innych gatunków.

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  4. My favourite is the Mexican Jays. All the corvids seem to ooze intelligence.

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    1. They are pretty smart:) One of three common jays we have around Tucson.

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  5. I could watch those Turkeys for ages, Chris. Those other three birds are all very special and beautiful in their own way.

    With my best wishes to you both - - - Richard

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    1. Hello! It was a pretty nice morning out. It was a perfect day to be with the critters. Thank you for the well wishes. Hope things are getting better. Chris

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  6. What a super walk and, as always, your photos are just gorgeous :)

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    1. Thank you:) I need to get out more. Do you ever just want to hibernate inside your home? Lately, I like to go to bed early and sleep. What is happening to me?! You're like me. You go out a lot to all these places but sometimes I just need a break.

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  7. Wow! These are some fascinating creatures! I do enjoy seeing the things that others see in their part of the world :)


    Feel free to share at My Corner of the World

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  8. I just got back from birding in Belize. But I'll be birding in Arizona twice next summer. I love the Trogan too.

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    1. I can't wait to hear about your adventures here. Keep in touch.

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  9. Classic "its behind you" shot at the start of the post. Another wonderful selection of birds!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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