If we’d not seen signs of early Fall elsewhere, I would think that this maple had perhaps been sprayed with a toxic fluid.
The trees begin to turn in August here, but this seems a little rushed for a year that has not been excessively hot. Haven’t we been fortunate!
But what do I know of such things?
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One thing I know is that I am being manipulated – by a turkey.
The above individual has adopted the habit of approaching my window and craning its neck as if to look in at me, which I find amusing.
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It is attached to another, less nosey bird, that loiters while its pal follows its odd routine.
But then, yesterday the pair showed up early, just as I’d sat down at my desk. They behaved as usual, pecking at corn under the apple tree, after which the above lad moved off toward the driveway while Nosey Parker came to my window, then marched around the corner to see if there was anything on offer by the groundhog hole – all part of the pattern.
What normally happens next is that the two strut off down the driveway.
But yesterday Nosey instead circled around, disappearing back toward the apple tree and repeated the routine, including staring in the window at me – the front window first and then again through a side window.
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When my nosey friend did this a third time, the penny finally dropped.
The turkey was asking for peanuts. So I rushed to throw some out on the patio
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“Humans are so slow! No wonder the world is such a mess.”
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“Are you done? Can we go now?”
Perhaps the turkey’s behaviour was affected by the wet weather, but the fact is, once it had its fill of peanuts, it sauntered off.
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Sitting at my desk, I am quite a distance from the window though I have a good view of the driveway and watch the procession of visitors, especially when I throw out a scattering of nuts in the evening.
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This evening, I caught one of the squirrels with an odd-looking tail.
And a grackle.
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It is nice to see birds sharing amicably!
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It isn’t always so peaceful.
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Though I am far from the window, many creatures – crows in particular, seem quite aware of my presence. As long as I remain seated and don’t wave the camera around, I can usually get a couple of photos. This generation of crows is less nervous, though not nearly as bold as all other crows I’ve met around the world.
It was quite a surprise to encounter such timid corvids when we first arrived, but someone explained that it is likely due to the annual cull at a city not far from here, where crows flock in huge numbers – 50,000 to 70,000!
No doubt that could be a bit of a nuisance, but I could never kill a bird.
It saddened me to see crows fleeing from me as all others that I’ve met were very bold.
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Great or small, manipulative or not, I love them all.
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Great story. We have had many birds train us. The other day Nori asked us to turn on the A/C. And we imagine we are so much smarter than those non-humans around us…..
Thank you so much, Carolyn, for the beautiful tale of friendship and wonderful photos of your friends! I can hardly believe that anyone would kill the birds!
Joanna
The birds in our garden are not so brave, and all fly away as soon as I open the back door. With the exception of Robins, which will remain outside even when I walk out there. The smaller squirrel (Jerry) seems bold though, and definitely looks at me when I am in the kitchen, hoping for nuts to be thrown outside. I see his head following my movements as I prepare dinner.
Best wishes, Pete.
I really enjoy reading about, and seeing pictures, of your wildlife friends!
Thank you for sharing ❤️
Catherine
So, what you’re saying is that you have to start understanding ‘turkey language’ (which probably can’t really be called Turkish, right)? When I see the finches, sparrows, and doves through the kitchen window early in the morning, I quickly ran out and hand out nuts and seeds (and maybe even a bit of my oatmeal porridge). Yep, no question about it: We’re both being manipulated … but I don’t really mind 😉. Love your photos.