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Sarah M's avatar

Turkeys are so under appreciated for their beauty. When we lived in northern Wisconsin we had a flock of 25-30 turkeys that frequented our yard every day. I cannot tell you how much simple joy they brought to our lives. I miss them now. A happy and blessed Thanksgiving to you.

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

I agree, Sarah! They are so delightful - and only more and more wonderful the more you observe their little habits and mannerisms. So cute! Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving 💕

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Sheila's avatar

Those colours!!!

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Amie McGraham's avatar

A sweet story that makes me ache for my deer and seal and turkey friends (I’m off-island for a while). Some days, they’re the only life forms I encounter.

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Aw, I hope you'll be home again soon! It's amazing the way we come to feel such a recognition and connection with our wild neighbors, they are just so wonderful :)

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Neil Barker's avatar

Excellent piece and love the photos as well. Glad you were able to have her as a regular visitor for awhile. :)

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Thank you so much! Yes, it was actually quite nice to reminisce and write about it, such a fun memory. I wonder how she's doing now - we're back to seeing only full-sized flocks out-and-about, so maybe she just found her place in a group :)

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

So beautiful! Such a delightful read.

We've recently been 'adopted' by a jackdaw with some white feathers on his wings - we think it's for that reason that the rest of his tribe has rejected him, and he hangs around outside out back door persistently, looking doleful and lonely. Still, he's got friends in us!

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Thank you! Oh my goodness, how interesting! I feel a bit sad for him, but it will be such a lovely connection for you guys, and it will be neat to see how his story unfolds there.

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

We're having fun getting to know each other. We call him 'Jacko' - actually I don't know if he's a he or a she - I hope he doesn't mind if we've got it wrong! The last couple of years we had a visiting jackdaw with very much more white on its wings, and the colour difference was symmetrical, whereas Jacko's is more random. That one was called 'Motorbike' (!) and we still see him occasionally. Jacko is entirely different, though - Motorbike was shiny and very well dressed, whereas Jacko is sort of scruffy, scraggy, fluffed-up and cute.

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

That's so cool! We often name our little visitors, and try to properly gender them if possible, but hey, you can only do so much! 🤣 "Jacko" is perfect, I wonder if he could be young? We sometimes notice some of our fluffier, scruffier visitors are juveniles who become a little more sleek and self-assured over time 🤣 It's so nice that you can continue to recognize Motorbike and see him around!

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

I guess it's easier to identify male/female characteristics in birds where there's a big difference in their appearance, but as both sexes of jackdaw are identical I'm just going to run with my assumption that Jacko is a Jack rather than a Jackie! I did wonder for a fleeting moment whether Jacko might be Motorbike's offspring? He does look and behave rather differently to the rest of the birds in the gang (of which he is not a member!), so perhaps he IS just a youngster? Good thinking, Sydney - I'll keep watching him (and feeding him the mealworms of which he is so fond!) and see what I can deduce. 😊

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

😂Right? Some of them give us something to work with - like our Hairy Woodpeckers, where the males have a red patch, so we can confidently call them Harry and Harrietta😂 That’s fascinating to think he might be offspring - I bet you’re right, as both the plumage and the behavior lend evidence. I think it’s so cool how they do pass down behaviors, as we do :) I’m very excited about this special little friendship you guys are forming!

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

It's lovely when you can see at a glance who is Mr and who is Mrs!

Jacko's outside the back door again this morning, looking thoughtful. He's a pensive kind of chap. One of his favourite things to do is to stand by a fallen leaf on the grass and turn it over and over. I think he's lonely, so I'm going to have a chat with him next time I'm in the kitchen.

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Maria Hanley's avatar

Beautiful, as always. I love how she shared with the chipmunk!

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Thank you! I know, right? That was so heart-warming 💕 It really added this layer of depth to her personality.

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Jason McBride's avatar

Everything about this post is breathtakingly beautiful!

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Thank you so much!

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Pamela Leavey's avatar

What a great story Sydney. She's a lovely visitor. You're photos are stunning. The feather close-up - just gorgeous!

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Thank you so much, Pamela!

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Sandy S's avatar

Thank you so much for sharing your turkey encounter! She is so lovely in your telling of the moment!

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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

My pleasure, I'm so happy to have shared her sweet story, and so glad you enjoyed it :)

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Nov 28, 2023
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SydneyMichalski🌿NatureMoments's avatar

Thank you, so glad to have been able to share them with you! I know, so cute, right?

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