Peahens? Guinea fowl? Margaret L At 11:21 AM 10/12/00 -0500, you wrote: >Are you absolutely certain these were not wild turkeys? Wild turkeys are >slowly >coming back in much of their former range and, other than buzzards, are >the only >large bird I can think of. Buzzards don't usually walk around on the ground >either. > >George > >penny x stamm wrote: > > > > Hi, David and Ron and all -- in spite of the 39* nights, we have not > > had our first freeze as yet -- and we are several hours north of > > you, David! > > > > This morning as I stared out the kitchen window, I nearly broke my > > nose on the window ---- there were 6 enormous birds, positively > > larger than a turkey, slowly ambling across the rear lawn, and > > stopping here and there for a peck at some hidden insect below... > > > > I yelled for Jimmie, and he yelled for the camera, so I did attempt > > to photograph them. My film speed of 100 was not adequate, > > however, since a flash was called for and my flash would never have > > reached them, but we'll see. When I opened the back door to get > > a better picture, they looked up at me, stood stock still, and then > > went back to their slow amble. Totally nonchalant. > > > > They were dark brown in coloration -- I think the wings (which were > > folded back) were darker than the body, not sure. But HUGE . . . . > > There was something white about each head, but I am confused as > > to just where it was. > > > > A month or so ago, we saw a parade of a mother bird and her six > > progeny crossing our front lawn. She was definitely leading them. > > When they reached the curb, she stepped off and they kinda > > jumped off, and then the little ones scampered like bats out of > > Hades to reach the other side, as if she had told them to beware of > > cars. It was very funny! The truth probably was that they did not > > like the feel of the road surface ... We suspect that they have been > > nesting inside the shell of a house which has been abandoned > > for 4 months in the midst of a reconstruction, and not one of us > > knows the story... > > > > The whole covey walked slowly from left to right across my > > rather large lawn, and then 5 of them took the stone path thru > > the bushes, turned left around the tall spruce, and disappeared. > > They should have gotten rather locked in back there, but they never > > came out. The 6th one finally decided to follow them, and walked > > right smack thru the large impatiens bed, smash, smash, then > > tangled with the low fencing I keep behind the bed to deter the > > small varmints from unnecessary trampling. Funny thing -- I had > > looked out the window in the first place to see if that impatiens > > bed had been hit by a frost yet, and noticed that the flowers were > > definitely shrinking down -- so I didn't come after that monster > > bird with a carving knife . . > > > > Penny, NY zone 6 > > > > ________________________________________________________________ > > YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! > > Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! > > Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: > > http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. >