Bristol Area Birders, Last Thursday a flock of 16 Wild Turkeys came through the yard. One gobbler was really showing off for the hens by strutting his stuff. I wanted to get a photo, but the sun was behind the flock. Within a few minutes the group fed across the yard, down across the driveway and over into the neighbor's pasture. Knowing that they would make their way across the pasture and up to the ridge on the other side, as they had done before, I grabbed the scope and camera and jumped into the Blazer. I drove to the top of the hill while circling around the flock, got the sun behind me and set up. I didn't have long to wait. First a few of the feeding hens came into view. Then the gobbler surprised me by stepping out from behind a Hemlock onto the grassy ridge. There he was in the morning sun in full display. I then took this photo. http://www.bcplnet.org/birdclub/gallery/Turkey1.htm It was then that one of the hens saw me and became a bit nervous. After a few seconds she took to the air, sailing farther down into the pasture. Another hen was getting ready to take off. I followed her with the scope and camera, clicking the shutter as she left the ground. Though she looked ungainly on the ground, she certainly made up for it when she took to the air. It was then that I took this photo. http://www.bcplnet.org/birdclub/gallery/Turkey2.htm It was certainly a nice way to start off a spring morning. Enjoy the birds, Roger Mayhorn Grundy, VA Buchanan County mayhorn@xxxxxxxxxxxx ************************************************* BRISTOL BIRDS NET LIST This is a regional birding list sponsored by the Bristol Bird Club to facilitate communications between birders and bird clubs of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. It serves the Russell County Bird Club, Herndon Chapter TOS, Chapter, Blue Ridge Birders Club, Butternut Nature Club, Buchanan County Bird Club, Bristol Bird Club, Clinch Valley Bird Club and Cumberland Nature Club. -------------------------------------------------- You are subscribed to Bristol-Birds. To post to this mailing list, simply send an email to: bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, send an email to bristol-birds-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the one word 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. -------------------------------------------------- Wallace Coffey, Moderator jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx (423)764-3958