I would rather have Wild Turkeys roaming my yard than Canada Geese. Alas, the geese are the far more likely visitors. Yet, turkeys are here, having begun their colonization of the area from the south nearly a half century ago. Most locals merely view them as a delightful curiosity.
Sunday, I watched three toms foraging about a kilometre from my home. I am sure they were aware of me, but as long as I didn’t crowd them, they seemed comfortable.
Our local Wild Turkey is a Merriam’s, a subspecies with dark iridescent feathers. The long feathery beard that hangs from the breast is a characteristic of all male turkeys. 
Usually, the turkeys kept their heads low as they foraged. This one looked up.
It was after the snowberries that abound in the woods at this time of the year.
I suspect that in a beauty contest for birds, the Wild Turkey would lose big time—this bird is not a swan.
Alistair, I am a close friend of David Hersh. Your photographs are so inspiring. I am also a photographer. Your pictures are beyond exceptional.
Arnie Lazarus
Arnie, I think the key word here is propinquity: I live among the things I photograph.
I am jealous that photographers with big lenses always get all the great shots. I usually suffer bodily injury when photographing wildlife with my ultra-wide lens. Oh well, I always come back to your site for inspiration.
I was going to make a sarcastic comment about ‘birds of a feather’ but I am trying to turn over a new leaf in 2014.
Happy new year,
Kevin
Kevin, I am ever so glad that I sprung for the bird-finder attachment (an extra $13.95) for my lens. It calls them in, focuses, takes multiple shots, and chooses the best one. Unfortunately, it sometimes misidentifies the species, but I hear that there is a firmware upgrade in the works.
I have met up with turkeys on the railway along the lake. They really won’t let you get by, which is a problem where there are steep slopes. Even logging roads are a problem, they follow you into the trees.