The Wild Turkey

This in from a friend and neighbor up the road:

Last month a handsome, male turkey visited our habitat looking for food. After a few tussles with the resident crows, guarding their turf, he joined our family of birds, squirrels, and the occasional chipmunk emerging from his den, to eat corn, seed, fruit and berry.

We named him Alexander. During the day he would eat his fill, then follow the arc of the sun to the brook for a drink and relaxation in the light on the hillside. At dusk, he would walk across our road to the woods to roost. One evening as we were watching him depart, we were amazed to see him sprinting down the road, like an airplane taxiing on a runway, then lift up to roost in a large tree 50 feet above our driveway. He stayed all night. It was a magical sight to look out the window in the pitch black to see his silhouette amongst the stars.

He is gone now, probably looking for a mate. We miss him. His presence was a gift during this long hard winter, and the birdseed and sanctuary was our gift to him for strength and survival. Hope he stops by with his harem!!