Since we moved to our current home, seven years ago, we have been visited by many groups of wild turkeys. The first year we were here, we had a pair and their 15 chicks visit our field occasionally. The couple that sold us the house had named the pair Franklin and Eleanor. When the chicks had grown and moved on we saw Franklin and Eleanor from time to time pecking their way through the field.
In recent years a third had joined them and we called her Anna (Franklin and Eleanor's only daughter). We had not seen the trio for awhile, then, this spring, Anna showed up with six poults (baby turkeys).
We have watched Anna carefully tend her little flock all summer. It is quite a feat to be a single mother of six. Every evening I see them parading across the field nibbling seeds and eating bugs. I watched them make some of their first flights and have seen them improving everyday. Most nights they roost in one of the trees in the field or by the house and I watch them as the settle in for the night.
Today I saw one of the larger poults on its own. It was happily pecking its around my garden, then, with a running start, flew right past me into a tree and found a place to roost. I was very proud of it, being on its own, but, I was also very sad to think that my little turkeys are growing up. Soon they will all go their separate ways and I will miss them!
