After doing an errand this morning, I took the long way home through back roads in Howey-in-the-Hills. The road I took rambles through a rural area with homes on acreage, often with horses or cattle grazing. I felt confident I'd see something interesting. Sure enough, I did.
As I rounded a bend, I came upon a fenced pasture and noticed a flock of turkeys in the distance. I pulled off the road, took out my camera and zoomed in to focus on the birds far across the field.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-a-3zeQM-7U9-hgiLvlRJIw1749GYvtMk7u3_apCUoxJ-NSwEtMNcjGG10gdYBtlcoL9nqtMM36HdSBVqK8i108N21gF1hg_84I-aeVda3ihmhruW54ahEDfDRblSyinrrc8pO3Jd97s/s1600/1-turkeys+in+field+(3).JPG) |
Even from several hundred feet away, the turkeys seemed to know I was watching them. I was photographing the turkeys but later noticed two small yellow birds on the ground. Can you find them? |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGuAclGmIYV6Czcn1hqbEw6W93pR18rfcMb8bYsGNBKc7iXHUCaIsPIr1YLfmIFMLf8THPSL2qmcKVMtvgCWd2iCQ_CJiTGp_f6tdyZTY-THErf0BSh74W_rAhMqiTHqDBy_GfTicUl4/s1600/1-turkeys+in+field+(6).JPG) |
Two female turkeys pecking for bugs, seeds or bits of grain |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNK_Qobhg5HRQZijIKitQrAoz106yCco2CXwySJFc1pHMPNhPXPxffhmXxiCf30yMJ_QWjpfJ_W4z1gKlF2meWIT55lgCRGaSOapPqqOLVlermHyg9KHrNvTpd1kKn5CQOIowK7_nHSeo/s1600/1-turkeys+in+field+(5).JPG) |
What a surprise to see a red-bellied woodpecker when I uploaded this picture |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpF44Mlp3lHWBSi8c9ukbho-ciYdjVwQkoHE0u0JIniEe57oopcrCQi0BZGa1-TJ8emiuVC_h8MVrQrBrXNufCu9cdp1SfMakApdWbAd4N3zFksimQ4Aa3UQxsSjuEf8culqNWfqFuGg/s1600/1-killdeer.JPG) |
So much was going on in that field. Here's one of several killdeer I saw on the ground |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakuBYcEovkL5e564igbWKrmofKN5lp11A31Qf2ESl_FOjLQYGacpk1j6SZ23k6gxWTSghdsIbd7UzEDBxW3FbEYWgHDXkIcc7VE03Wgd7epk3O1klXedgq8gM4G4cfmRw9OslardzfBk/s1600/1-ibis+in+tree+(1).JPG) |
High up in a cypress tree overlooking the field with the turkeys was a white ibis |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiml7-a7QiMGjBJzF1a3PuXfIxxMo0TwvWUmNnm-DHQGXIpMt7h85-qUyzKRtXIsRMg3AOeSWsgA4V3PcmPFt4nBxkR_sTdO3O43vvQ6pQdg7-moKpNExNfND26xptHbdchVzwjCH4O8DM/s1600/1-tricolored+heron+on+post+(2).JPG) |
And just down the road this tricolored heron was hanging around a plant-clogged pond. The pond might be full of weeds but the heron caught himself a good sized fish while I watched from the car.
|
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht-w69wb7UkJ4xl1obZZ30hqp9dMjz6TN2DoGRSfD2mX7K7wkGwieIwMHYG9UfCHUiuO2ZLBNAd2L5HBTe_QT19DFKlKvf16NexcFIrU5B5_BoTaPObocSFLMpYI3kext4EF7Ucs3Odqc/s1600/1-tricolored+heron+on+post+(1).JPG) |
Wish I'd taken a better picture of its catch |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHW9naNUIzg6OxKSuXT4wyqKLH3rLHhmc7zqnFgQUm_1cq35_LKVwTYVxUdrItH1v_QB_Rn5tvc2ei4VS0dAVP2xIsxeP0KWz0fx-mpggvq9OJ50_kjh8bN2jJWfaTB83bbsMyIt-WAw/s1600/1-turkey+vultures+on+posts.JPG) |
And one final picture - three bored looking
turkey vultures with their bright red faces, looking resigned to dine on
whatever carnage they can find. |
Although I'm not big on holiday gift-giving, I am enjoying this present
to myself. While others are unwrapping the latest this or must-have that, my
present was a quiet ride through the countryside capturing images of animals in
the wild.
Like all great presents, it's just what I wanted
No comments:
Post a Comment