[Bristol-Birds] Wild Turkey still in family flocks

Wild Turkey are still in small family groups and the fall flocking
for winter has probably not seriously begun.  On Sept. 29 I saw six birds in the
field adjacent to Bill Gatton's Honda in Bristol Tennessee.  On Tuesday,
Oct. 2,  five were seen flying across the North Fork Holston River to a
pasture field in Scott County, Va. just downstream from Mendota near Jett Gap.  
On Wednesday, Oct.3, seven birds were found crossing Rust Hollow Rd. 5 miles 
west of Abingdon, Va. in Washington Co.  Each flock had several
young birds almost as large as an adult.  The Rust Hollow birds were 
intriguing because they hurried ahead of my car and then came upon a
wire fence they couldn't get thru.  They also had a long ways to go to 
reach the end of the fencing.  Since I had them trapped along the fence,
they ran back and forth along the fence beside my car over a distance of
about 15 feet.  When I saw it was hopeless that they could easily get beyond
the fence with my car parked in the road,  I backed up about 30 feet.  One
at a time they got their nerve up and walked back up a slight grade to the
edge of the road, then turned and jumped into the air to fly clear of
the fence and land in the barnyard on the other side.  Several farmhands
watched from about 50 feet away and seemed amused.  South of Mendota,
I was driving along the river when birds began to come down a steep bank
and run across the road.  Then, each of them made a steep flight well up
into trees and perched maybe a second or two at a height of about 25
feet off the ground.  They launched themselves out over the river
and flew with ease to the pasture on the far side of the river.  Much fun
and enlightening.

Let's go birding......

Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN

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