Turkeys among the Deer, 06/21/04
text and photos by Dick Budnik

Wild turkeys have become an increasingly common sight in northern Westchester over the past three decades. In the late 70s, I saw maybe a dozen turkeys a year on my daily hikes. This year I'm seeing dozens of turkeys each week. They are very visible in the open meadow and fields in spring when the vegetation is still low. As the grasses grow in early summer, spotting the bobbing head of a turkey becomes more of a challenge.

The highly social turkeys avoid crowds while they are caring for their fledglings. However, in a short time the families join together forming flocks of 20 to 40 turkeys.

I'll often see a flock of turkeys feeding in amongst a herd of deer on our hillside meadows. This makes sense from the turkeys point of view. The deer provide many pairs of eyes two feet taller than the turkey's to scan the fields for roving coyotes and other predators.

Photos Copyright © 2004 Dick Budnik Photography
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