DAMN, that's one big-ass bird!

[fangirl715.livejournal.com]

So there I was, walking down Malvern Ave. on the way to Yorktown to pick up something from a friendly FreeCycler, when from between two houses popped a very large and very angry-looking wild turkey! He was only about 7-8 ft. away from me, and due to the houses being built up from the street, he was pretty much at eye level to boot. Needless to say, I stopped dead in my tracks as he hopped down to the sidewalk, stalked across the street to someone else's driveway, and paced around the neighborhood for a while, giving everyone and everything in the area the stinkeye. I went on my way, picked up my item, and on my way back saw him still in the same driveway, looking pissed off, before he eventually headed up the street in the direction from whence I'd just come. I spoke w/a couple of people who were coming out of their house while he was still in the driveway, and they said "Oh, he's been here for several years," which, considering that coyotes have been spotted in the 'Ville (or at least in my part of it; I remember hearing about a sighting on Lexington Ave.), surprises me; then again, the turkey in question gives off sufficient "don't f&$! with me!" vibes that I can see how he's been left unmolested all this time.

EDIT: I just looked through the "local wildlife" tag, and saw that plenty of turkeys have been seen around and about the area, but this was my first up close and personal encounter with one, and I can definitely see why you wouldn't want to be on their bad side...

Comments

[ron_newman]

What, no photo?

Click on that 'local wildlife' tag that you added, and you'll see some earlier reports of turkey sightings in Somerville.

[fangirl715.livejournal.com]

Sorry, Ron--I don't have a cell phone, and I wasn't carrying my camera at the time. I did check the "local wildlife" tag, though, and have now edited the original post accordingly.

Welcome to Mutual of Freakin' Omaha's Wild Kingdom!

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

Coyotes generally have problems with (full grown) turkeys and there's usually easier prey :)

[squirrelitude]

Read: cats.

[02144girl.livejournal.com]

I live on Glendale I see this guy all the time. He usually will come uncomfortably close but doesn't seem to be concerned with hurting/being hurt by people.

[samus-aran.livejournal.com]

He's local to the area and lives in our gazebo sometimes. Please just let him be - none of the neighbors mind him, the mail carrier coexists with him, and he's pretty shy.

[fangirl715.livejournal.com]

Oh, I would never bother them--they're wild animals & should be left well enough alone. He just scared the hell out of me momentarily when he popped out right in front of me. (For a split second, I thought he was a lawn ornament, until he moved...) I think the one I saw was bigger than the bird in the photo, though--perhaps there's more than 1 in the neighborhood?