Hiking With Turkeys?

Teresa and I took a hike at Caesar Creek Gorge State Nature Preserve this week. It was a great hike, but the dense and lush green cover mask the wildlife. We did manage to see a few birds, but was not successul at capturing many photos. I did get this beautiful landsape shot of the Little Miami River.

As we hiked we surprised this wild turkey and her two chicks. What a shock. I think she was far more scared than anything. We snapped a few photos, but tried to give her space to protect her chicks.

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~ Rick

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Turkey for dinner?

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I have been waiting to share this photo for a few days now. This is a wild turkey and it comes with a great story.

We had gone out for a drive, and were headed back to the lodge. I really can’t describe the road .. remember, we were in the mountains of Yosemite, and the roads wind through the mountain like a noodle in a pile of spaghetti. Winding roads for miles, trees, and not much margin for error. There are spots where the edge of the road end, and then there is just a clift .. a large drop off. I was just focused on my lane so as not to hit an oncoming car, or drop over the edge. My fear of heights didn’t work with me.  

As we come around a curve in the road, I see this very large bird in the road. Right in the middle of the road. My 1st reaction was, “Pheasant”. I really knew better .. it didn’t look like a pheasant. It turned toward us and started this turkey trot, trying to get out of the way. I stopped in the middle of the road as we both scrambled to get a camera. The funny thing is, I was holding my iPhone. But there we were were, two phones and still looking for a camera. Teresa snapped a couple of photos. This was the best one. 

The Turkey was so surprised: We were so surprised. I guess it was almost turkey for dinner.  

~ Rick

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©2018 Rick Cartwright

A big Turkey, not for consumption ...

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I was going to share this photo on Thanksgiving day, but due to a distraction, I forgot. This old bird looks to be safe from any kitchen table. I took this picture several years ago when we had family in town for their vacation. Kids and nature are a natural paring. The kids love the animals. I’m not sure the animals love the kids, at least not all the time.

This reminds me of my 16th birthday. That year, my birthday happen to be on Thanksgiving Day. A few days before the holiday, a turkey showed up in our yard. She didn’t look healthy, but there she was. No, we didn’t do it ... and it was a long time before the bird disappeared. I often wondered which neighbor ... never mind. In the meantime, there was no shortage of jokes about the turkey showing up for my birthday.  

~ Rick  

Prints are available for many of the photos on this site on canvas, metal or glass. They are stunning and you can purchase them for a wall at home. Click the link or the ‘prints and such’ tab.

©2017 Rick Cartwright