Yikes! The Turkey Witness Protection Program cover has just been blown.
Better hope there are no hunters reading this listserv.
:)
Thanks. I may try to get out there (without a firearm of course).

Rob


>From: Jeff Shenot <>
>Reply-To: Jeff Shenot <>
>To: 
>Subject: [MDOSPREY] PG Co wild turkey
>Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2005 12:40:28 -0500
>
>If any of you are PG listers and don't have wild turkey yet, there has been
>a flock (I counted 30 a few days ago) using a series of fields off Croom Rd
>(SW side), between Croom Station Rd and Mt Calvert Rd.  Croom Road is not a
>place you can stop and watch wildlife - there is no shoulder and traffic is
>not high but it is steady.  This is strictly a drive-by opportunity.  They
>are not always present there, but for about 3 weeks now they have normally
>fed somewhere out in the fields at some point during the day.  These fields
>are used by them every spring, but rarely are they visible there the rest
>of the year.  The area is frequently hunted, and probably will be during
>the spring season this year.  I notice them most often either at mid-
>morning or mid- to late-afternoon.  The longest I have seen them out
>feeding is only about 1.5 hours, so it is not a sure bet you'll see them.
>
>The feeder/yard birds here have dropped abysmally in diversity.  Seems like
>the winter passerines have all dissapeared except for white-throats and
>juncos.  And now we have been invaded by common grackles and cowbirds,
>which happens every year at this time.  It makes me question the value of
>feeding at this time, at least around here.  These marauding pests can
>empty our feeders in a matter of a few hours, and often do.  Despite their
>seemingly euphoric and raucous behavior, they are quite nervous and often
>flush in unison at almost any movement, but then very quickly return and
>continue with the raucous feast.  There have been large flocks (some exceed
>1,000) of grackles around here for the last couple weeks, but fortunately
>only a fraction of them (about 100-125 birds) are using the feeders with
>any regularity.  I wonder why they don't all come in to feeder stations?
>It seems there are always 15-20 or more that simply hang out in the trees
>while the others are rioting on the ground.  Maybe the ones in the trees
>are scouts?  I look forward to them moving on, and the arrival of the
>neotropic migrants!  Meanwhile I can stay amused watching for migrant
>raptors (it's not in a spring flyway like Ft Smallwood, but we get a few
>here) and water dependent birds (waders, waterfowl, grebes, loons, gulls,
>etc.).
>
>Jeff Shenot
>Croom MD

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