Spring

[ribirdnerd]

Many signs of spring, yesterday ended up a gorgeous day. The mornings have started out cold but by afternoons have been warm and sunny.

Lot of waterfowl at the pond, Mallard, Mute Swan, Canada Goose and Wood Duck.

A couple of Wild Turkey have been coming out of the woods to feed on seed on the ground. They like shelled peanuts too, which upsets the Squirrels and Blue Jays!.

Comments

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Many signs of spring, yesterday ended up a gorgeous day. The mornings have started out cold but by afternoons have been warm and sunny.<<

Yay! :D

>> Lot of waterfowl at the pond, Mallard, Mute Swan, Canada Goose and Wood Duck.<<

I do envy you the Wood Ducks. They're so beautiful. Does the pond have hollow trees or at least nest boxes for them?

>>A couple of Wild Turkey have been coming out of the woods to feed on seed on the ground. They like shelled peanuts too, which upsets the Squirrels and Blue Jays!.<<

I was amused to see that the Wild Turkeys hold the top dominance at feeders.

Re: Thoughts

[ribirdnerd]

There are probably some hollow trees nearby.

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

Yay! Wood ducks are cavity nesters, so they need a hole above water or at least nearby.

[trepkos]

How exciting to get wild turkey in your garden!

[pameladean]

The Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden in Minneapolis had to stop having any bird feeders except hanging suet ones, because the wild turkey flock that had decided the garden was a good home would come for the dropped seed and tromple or eat all the plants under the feeders. There are essentially no unintentional plants in the garden, so the docents were distressed at the destruction and decided the feeders had to go. The park outside the garden does have some feeders. But you used to be able to sit quietly on the porch of their little shelter and watch goldfinches feed their babies, or cardinals feed one another, or a flock of palm warblers foraging below the feeders, depending on the season.

The turkeys are magnificent, though, and certainly the garden prefers them to deer.

P.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

Thistle seed is another option. Tiny birds love it, but bigger birds usually prefer bigger food such as sunflower seed.

[ribirdnerd]

Oh no! Luckily our turkeys usually only visit a few weeks at a time.