Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Egad, a Pecking Tom at My Window!


Need your entree for Thanksgiving dinner? It's strutting on my deck.

The wild turkeys are everywhere. They run all over the yard, looking for food. But come break time, they're on the deck right outside my office windows. The gal turkeys are content to stay down. Not so with the macho men. They like to fly up to the railing and sit there like they own the world. This afternoon a bunch were congregated at the side view out of my office, and suddenly I heard this banging noise. What in the world? I walked around my desk to catch a fat tom pecking the heck out of the glass. He caught sight of me and backed off, only to return and start pecking again when I sat back down. Whadya suppose is his problem? I figured he saw himself in the glass and didn't like what he saw. (Egad, a competitor tom!)

In the front yard we have a tree, now barren of leaves but loaded with red berries. Well, half loaded. The turkeys work on it every day. Trouble is they've eaten all the lower berries so now have to fly higher up in the tree. They are the most ungainly flyers. Bad enough going up. Coming down they tend to beak plant half the time.

Be my guest, BGs. Come on over and bag yourself a turkey.

Turkey view from my desk (looking straight ahead).

Left side view from my desk. Roostin' on the railing.


Dining at the berry tree.


Pecking tom at my side office window.

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Winners from yesterday's drawing for copies of Unpretty: Jason and Kristi Golden. Congrats! Jason and Kristi, please contact me with your street addresses.

12 comments:

Christina Tarabochia said...

Aw, they look so pretty, but isn't their excrement horrible to deal with? When we first moved here, they would come poop all over the lower deck. Dogs are the answer, Brandilyn, and I happen to still have 5 black lab puppies that need homes!

Grady Houger said...

Thats cool to see! Close encounters with a common meal. Maybe you could pile something next to the berry tree for the turkeys to reach easier. Firewood or old tires should work.

I'd pass on bagging one though, it would be fun to figure out how to snare a turkey, but getting caught in Idaho means at minimum a $200 fine!

Pamela S. Meyers said...

We used to see wild turkeys at my uncle's Ohio farm back when he was alive, but they never came that close to the house. Very cool!

Pam Halter said...

That is hilarious! They're like vultures sitting on the deck railing. You'll have to use it in one of your books.

Kim Vogel Sawyer said...

Turkeys are one of the most obnoxious birds (and one of those rare creatures that aren't even cute as babies). Here in Kansas, they congregate in the middle of the road and refuse to move. You can't run over them (not that I would do that anyway) because they are big enough to damage your vehicle. And if you dare try to shoo them away, they fan out their tail feathers and chase you back to your car! I don't care much for them. But they are delicious with stuffing and cranberry sauce... (BTW, I love the view from your office! What inspiration!)

Anonymous said...

My husband encounters them driving his big rig over there.
Not a lot of room for those little brains, is there?

lynnmosher said...

Now that's what I call home delivery! How nice of them to come calling at Thanksgiving time! LOL! And no wonder you're a writer...with a view like that for inspiration! Beautiful! Loved the post!

Lynetta said...

I agree, that's an awesome view. Reminds me of my Grandparents' big picture window in the dining room. Only they actually encouraged the turkeys and deer to come by feeding them grain every morning.

Christina Tarabochia said...

Brandilyn, in case you don't see the response to your comment on my blog about you taking one year longer to land your first contract: Some of us are faster learners than others. ;-)

Would that the Lord will bless my career the way he hsa yours!

Christina Tarabochia said...

And may He always be my Spellchecker!

Dineen A. Miller said...

Well, you know, a "pecking" Tom is better than a "peeping" Tom. :-)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Rita Gerlach said...

That is too funny! At least they are turkeys. Where my sister lives in Maryland, vultures came to roost.

Brandilyn, I say with that gorgeous view from your house, I'd take those turkeys any day.