Re: [gardeners] Early onset to fall in an L.A. Garden

Margaret Lauterbach (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Thu, 12 Oct 2000 10:32:19 -0600 

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.
>