It must be something in the air that is making wild birds get near me this week. On intuition, I walked down behind the museum during lunch to see what was in the valley back there. As I slowly descended old, crumbling cement stairs that cut down the steep embankment my eyes were searching as usual. My ears picked up the faint sound of leaves rustling so I slowed down even more, raising my camera close to my face. All of a sudden this turkey strolls from the underbrush, heading right for me. I think having the camera in my face and being still must confuse the animals and they do not recognize me as a human. At one point, this turkey walked to within about 6 feet (1.8 meters) from me. I watched this, and another one, feed for as long as I could before my break ran out. Here’s a shot I took of a turkey last November not too far from here. A City Gobbler in Pittsburgh!!

Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo