[bcbirdclub] Strange Birder Behavior
- From: "Roger Mayhorn" <rmayhorn@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "BCBC Listserve" <bcbirdclub@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 13 May 2009 22:28:54 -0400
Hi All,
I just posted about interesting bird behavior, and now I'm going to tell about
some interesting behavior on my part.
This morning, just minutes after I had been listening to the Orchard Oriole, I
was still near the walnut tree in the backyard and had turned to start walking
back toward the house.
Suddenly, from behind me I heard this sequence of loud noises that seemed to be
coming in my direction really fast. In the instant before I could turn to see
what was there my mind raced in an effort to figure out what it was, and what
to do to save myself. The first explanation my confused brain came up with was
the sound of horses hooves. Since my neighbors keep horses just across the back
fence I just knew that one of their horses had somehow gotten out and was
running at full speed, bearing down on me.
All of this happened in an instant, and by the time my brain had gone through
those gyrations I had turned to see what it was that was about to run over me.
My brain registered a large blur streaking past me. My next impression was,
"This is the largest bird I have ever seen." A huge turkey was streaking past
me, only a few feet off the ground. It was so close it looked three times
normal size The loud wingbeats were what my brain interpreted as the sound of
horses hooves, and the fact that the bird was flying directly in front of my
shed caused the sound to bounce off it and seem amplified.
The surprised turkey flew on across the yard, through the pines and over into
the neighbor's pasture, still creating the sounds of "hoofbeats". Once my heart
settled down I looked to see if any of my neighbors had seen me nearly startled
out of my senses. I got up from the ground where I had not only thrown myself,
but in that short time span had managed to dig at least two feet into the earth
in an effort to save myself from what I was sure was impending doom. I got up,
cleaned the dirt out of my teeth and fingernails where I had been savagely
chewing and clawing at roots, then sheepishly walked back to the house.
Roger Mayhorn
Compton Mt
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