Jon Loveless recently photographed this Tom Turkey displaying his beautiful feathers to a very disinterested Hen.
You can often see this along Highway 1 this time of year, especially in the meadows of The Sea Ranch. I sure hope that female wild turkey gives him an approving look. He is rocking his feathers for her!
Thanks to Jon for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
Barbara Thrush spotted this Tom Turkey showing off his beautiful tail feathers, obviously hoping to impress a Hen or two.
The males really have a lot of color, don't they? Siegfried Matull once photographed a male Tom Turkey flying from a hedgerow on The Sea Ranch.
It is thought these turkeys are not native here, but others disagree. We know they are here now and can be seen occasionally right alongside Highway One.
Thanks to Barbara and Siegfried for allowing me to share their photos with you here.
For courtship displays, it doesn't get any better than a Tom Turkey. Jon Loveless captured this photo recently.
There has to be a hen or two close by. Here's a photo Cathleen Crosby got of a Tom trying to impress a gal.
To show you the intense colors of the male, here's a popular photo by Siegfried Matull. He caught it flying out of a hedgerow.
Thanks to Jon, Cathleen, and Siegfried for allowing me to share their photos with you here.
You wouldn't know just how colorful the Coast's Wild Turkeys are until you see Siegfried Matull's photograph. This is a male, a Tom, flying out of a hedgerow.
Wild Turkeys, Meleagris gallopavo, will eat just about anything. They forage on the ground but can also climb on shrubs and small trees. And they are pretty good fliers considering their heft! Thanks to Siegfried for allowing me to share his photo with you here.