Turkeys and geese know when spring is coming long before we humans receive any reminders from the media to pay attention to it. They start cavorting in our personal space, often at the inconvenience of life itself. But it is the approach of mating season, and birds will be birds.
Earlier this week, somebody caught a video of a true gentleturkey helping his harem cross the road by raising his gorgeous tail like a crossing guard would a stop sign and blocking traffic until all the ladies ambled across, and here it is for you to watch: https://www.smalljoys.tv/turkey-helps-cross-road/.
Another assembly of post-Thanksgiving survivors blocked a local road the other day while I was in traffic. One fellow got out of his car, hoping to herd the group along, and the male turkey went all Robert DeNiro Taxi Driver on him, hoisting his plumage and stepping up to face off with the dude, who got back in his vehicle and chose, wisely, to wait it out like the rest of us.
I had no idea those pudgy winged creatures could travel so much and so far, but these birds clock some serious miles from their wooded homes to enter suburbia.
Geese, of course, fly until they molt at right about the time of nesting season. While they’re grounded, they mate, have young, walk and poop all over the place. My workplace has a prime geese vacation spot between us and the highway, so every year we deal with little green logs of goose droppings for about five months. The payoff is seeing the parade of goslings each year, in groups of anywhere from three or four to eight or more, flanked by proud parents as they march in a slightly meandering row to the next eating, swimming or pooping location.
Maybe love is, indeed, for the birds.
I leave it to them. Meanwhile, I’m off to clean my shoes.
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