Pale Male Jr., Charlotte, Doorstep, Friend, and the Turkey Eating Spruce Trees

Photo by Brett Odom--Charlotte advances on the nest with a twig.
Hey Donna,
I got a photo of the egg today. It is hard to tell how many are actually there as the bowl of the nest is blocked, but I circled the one egg that you can see in the first photo.
Regards,
Brett Odom


Photo by Brett Odom

Excellent! And there could already be more as the bowl is partially obscured by the window divider. Interesting. It looks like the hawks haven't put much of a twig-side on this side of the bowl as the glass makes a ready made barrier. Though of course you are at a slightly higher elevation so it's hard to tell though we can see that egg!

Thanks Brett, please keep us updated.

This is Doorstep and Friend, the Mourning Doves who are now doing their 4th season in the yard in Wisconsin. Friend has been trailing Doorstep, following amorously close on her tail through all her daily activities, the full day. He's ready for copulation but she doesn't seem to be. In fact he is driving her a little nuts. Just previous to this photo he had sidled over to her on the branch and was being a bit pushy. She pecked him in the head, not that hard, but enough to get his attention. He's being more patient now.
I was driving along in the car on my way to see the Red-tails on County M the other day and what should I see but a flock of turkeys foraging on this corn field. I stopped the car.

This started the turkeys. Out of the corn field they came onto the mowed area around the farm buildings and started heading right. Not running you understand, nor the turkey trot, but one might call it walking with some speed.

Notice how they're on turf so walking is faster, but they still maintain the distance from me so they are screened by the last row of corn stalks.

The head of the line has now made it nearly into the farmyard. In this group there seem to be three Toms who are controlling the activities. Or one Tom and his two lesser buddies who do traffic control, it isn't clear to me yet exactly how Turkey hierarchy works.

The rest of the line is still coming. I believe that there are 13 of them.

Now this is interesting. Once at the Spruce trees some Turkeys go left and some go right.

Note the bird who has made it to the sidewalk and is using his wings to hurry. And what is happening to the turkeys on the right by the Spruce trees?

The lead turkeys are far left watching the proceedings and watching me.

Still more are coming out of the corn. What is happening to all the turkeys that have gone right?

One turkey watches me while the other two....

...get closer to the Spruce boughs

And then they are gone. Those big tall turkeys have done a disappearing act. It is as if the Spruce tree has just swallowed them.
Note the three lead turkeys are still left.

Okay now one of the leads is over beyond the barrier on guard. This big guy center is also watching me, another guard. Can you see the turkey head peeking up over the Spruce bough watching as well?

And here they come! The three guards continue to do so and the others start sneaking out of the Spruce and heading out to the brush across the way.

D.B.