A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[Molpet]

No turkey eggs found yet. Usually St Patrick's day I find the first one.

 

[Baybrio]

I have a pair of coopers hawks that 3 and 4 years ago nested in my pines and raised their young here. Then for the last 2 years a pair of crows took over nesting here and keeps the coopers away from the farm for the most part. But they didn't go far just moved across the street into the cemetery for nesting, and still try hunting and teaching their young to prey on the small birds here on the farm and bird feeders. But the crows do a good job of keeping them away always harassing/chasing them off.

I've always wondered how to entice crows to stay around my farm. I've seen them chase off Redtails. Probably no help on the bald eagles. I'm crossing my fingers that the great horned owls don't learn to hunt inside the barn where my turkeys roost. I've heard them courting, they are pretty magical.

 

[Finnie]

My toms have been mating the ground for weeks now but yesterday was the first time I saw a hen under one. I guess I can expect eggs soon. I’m thinking about two weeks.

Whenever I see crows, I quick get a scoop of corn and cast it along my driveway. They usually fly away, but I know that they see me doing it. Sometimes they come back a few days later and eat the corn. I wish I had a better method to try to lure them to nest here.

My neighbor scares them away from his corn patch with reflective tape during the sprouting time, so we are working at odds with each other.

 

[Finnie]

Well what do you know, I got a turkey egg yesterday! That was quick.

 

[Huntmaster]

Well what do you know, I got a turkey egg yesterday! That was quick.

I collected my first egg this morning, but I think she laid it yesterday also because a young hen was sitting on a nest yesterday morning but no egg under her. So, I believe she laid it after I left, I'm sure it was that young hen because the egg is irregular in shape long and very pointed. Will have to eat her eggs for a while until she works the bugs out. They are right on time I usually get an egg by the 9th

 

[Molpet]

I got an egg yesterday from a jenny. None found today.
2 wild hussies were circling the poultry yard getting the boys stirred up.

 

[Bantambird]

I saw a breeding today. I suppose I will have to watch out for eggs now.

 

[GravityWaves]

View attachment 3417628
This Merlin hanging in the hay barn. Pretty Girl was stalking it jumping from rafter to rafter. The scene below was pandemonium as all the turkeys made a huge racket. I'm sure they would have eaten it if they caught it. I like the merlin because it catches thieving chickadees.

It looks like a Sharp-shinned Hawk. Although they have several color morphs, Merlins generally have breasts with dark streaks. Adult Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks both have the distinctive darker backs with the reddish orange barring on the breast, but a Cooper's should be noticeably larger than a Merlin.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sharp-shinned_Hawk/id

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Merlin/id

 

[GravityWaves]

Does anyone know what this tom is doing displaying while laying down? I've always been interested in wild turkeys and I've learned a lot the past couple years by watching the trail cam pics and videos, but I've never seen this behavior before? He's in an all-male group.

 

[Molpet]

I have had My heritage display while they rub the ground instead of a hen.
@GravityWaves