Backyard turkey?

And speaking of backyard birds, this post is a long time in the writing but all environmental news is not bad.

There was a time when wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) were impossible to find or see in Tennessee. Growing up in Gatlinburg and the Great Smokies, you maybe could find one hiding in the shadows at Cades Cove. But, that was a big "maybe." They are native to the Americas, were highly revered by the Native Americans and highly over-eaten but our European ancestors once they arrived in the New World. 

The very wild version of our popular Thanksgiving entrée of choice has a remarkable history. In my first book, Natural Histories, I write about their saga from this side of the Atlantic to Spain on the opposite shoreline and their import into the country of Turkey where they were given their common name. Yes, a native bird that is named after a foreign country!

After our ancestors arrived and we essentially eat them all, (We did the same thing to passenger pigeons.) US Fish & Wildlife and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) rolled up their sleeves in an attempt to save the species. And, they succeeded although it took decades. Modern estimates indicate that there are probably as many wild turkeys alive in the woods of America today as there were when our ancestors arrived. So much so that it is possible to see one standing on your back patio as did Lynne and Bob Davis did recently. 

Lynne sent me the above photo.

"There is a big flock on our ridge," emailed Lynne. "I think it’s about time for them to be looking for nesting spots. We think there was a nest behind the house last year."

This is simple NOT a statement that could have been made 20- to 30-years ago. 

Thank you, Lynne. 

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