Birds at Play (September 2008)

I know that some birds are known to play, especially crows and ravens, but you usually don't expect to find Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) on a playground. That is exactly what I found on a day in late September back in 2008.

A Wild Turkey flock going through a playground.

I know that they were just foraging for food, but I like to think that if I had not been there to disturb them they would have stopped to use one of the slides.  So what could be better than turkeys on a playground?

Turkeys and crows at the playground

Turkeys and crows on a playground, of course.  The turkeys were joined by a pair of American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos).  The crows at least got on the playground equipment.  They did not like me very much though and flew off when they noticed me.  The turkeys eventually moved on, foraging down the hillside and away from the playground.

This is not the only wildlife that uses this playground.  I have found Snapping Turtles nesting in the mulch around this playground each of the last two years.