I’ve still never photographed a Wild Turkey tom in full display but this guy came close and the light angle was perfect for revealing his colors.
1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Typically I don’t post photos of turkeys on Thanksgiving, in part because it’s so commonly done. But I thought this handsome fella deserved the exposure and this seemed the perfect time to make it happen. His legs and feet may be hidden but I think his displaying pose and glorious colors at least partially make up for that deficiency. I photographed him last year in the mountains of the west desert as he watched over a small flock of accompanying hens.
I wish a joyous Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends for all my readers!
As for me it’s my tradition to spend Thanksgiving morning with birds and I hope to do exactly that today despite the ominous weather. Because of the generally nonexistent crowds in my birding areas holiday mornings are a favorite time for me to be in the field but today it could be a little (a lot?) dicey. We have significant snow on the ground, it’s snowing now and it’s supposed to continue all morning so roads could be a nightmare.
I’ll just have to see what it looks like out there as dawn approaches.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Ron
Note: I’ve posted this photo once before but for this edition of Feathered Photography I reprocessed the image to reveal more detail in the blacks.
Update at 7:15 a.m. I decided to stay home this morning. It’s still snowing pretty hard and the roads haven’t been cleared. I really don’t want to be “thankful” on Thanksgiving for an accident on the freeway or being stuck in traffic. Besides the light will be sucky for photography.
Proud Tom. Thank you, Ron. HAPPY THANKSGIVING! So glad you decided to stay home today.
Thanks, Melanie. I think it was the right decision given the situation.
Over the river and through the woods
Ron may go, or not.
’tis better to stay out of the fray
where the roads are no doubt fraught.
tho’ birds do beckon
the photos, I reckon,
may come at a price, I fear.
But go or stay,
I hope that you may
have a day that’s full of cheer.
Thank you, Lyle. I hope so too.
Lyle wins the Interwebs today! 🙂 That was really clever!!!
Delightful ditty, Lyle!
Snow in Rio Rancho! Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Thanks, Arwen.
Spectacular.
A very Happy (and bird filled) Thanksgiving to you and to all of your readers celebrating.
It is still dark here, but the smell of smoke from nearby fires is strong. Very strong.
Those damned fires sound awful, EC. I’ve heard about the devastation to koala habitat. Tragic.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Ron, I hope your morning field trip was a good one. Thanks for all of your fine photography and leading the way for us to learn more every day.
Thanks, Dave. I canceled the trip because of the snowy driving conditions.
Ron, thank you for the beautiful photo of this turkey. Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Thanks, Alice.
Around here these guys are common, not shy.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
They’re common in some areas here in winter but that’s usually in unattractive settings in agricultural fields or on the outskirts of small mountain towns. Thanks, Martha.
Gorgeous bird. I’ve been a fan of turkeys all my life, having spent my summers in the “hills and hollers” of central Missouri. They spook easily and i’ve been startled more than once by their near vertical lift-off through the oak woods, crashing upwards at all costs! It’s a treat to have several visitors every year partaking of the acorn feast around us — hearing their soft ‘chortle’ while they eat is as sweet as the wren’s song. So, thank you so much for this.
Do you have a photo of a hen that you would be willing to post?
Happy Thanksgiving to you. Be well!
Thank you, Nina. I’ll have to go back and see if I took any decent photos of hens that morning that I saved.
Happy Thanksgiving to you. Thank you for all the joy your informative blog, outstanding photos and warm friendship have given to me and my family through the years!
Maybe you can make a quick trip to the pond this morning. I was thinking of making a quick drive for photos this morning but maybe I will wander around the gully behind my house instead. The towhees are abundant again.
Thanks for the kind words, April. I check some of the local ponds nearly every day.
He’s a beautiful, very stately bird…nicec catch!
Thanks, Patty.
He’s a beauty, Ron! Your blog is high on the list of things for which I’m thankful. Glad you decided to stay off the roads this morning. Seems like a good morning for a second chocolate doughnut! Happy Thanksgiving!
No chocolate donuts for me this morning, Diane. They’re strictly for mornings I go shooting. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I wanted to go so badly… 🙂
Now THIS. Is what Ben was talkin’ about! 😎 He’s stunning!
I think your decision to stay home is an excellent one. I want to be able to keep being thankful for you and your blog for years to come! Besides, you have all that culling to do. 😈😇😜
“Besides, you have all that culling to do”
Ah hell, thanks a lot for reminding me, Marty! Now I’ll feel guilty because I just ain’t gonna do it on Thanksgiving (unless your guilt trip gets the best of me…)
Hey, what are friends for? 😉
I hearby revoke your passport for any guilt trip! 😀
And a blessed and joyous Thanksgiving back to you and yours!
And as usual, what a glorious image!
I’m delighted you chose NOT to go out today. I’m not so much worried about you since you seem to have your head screwed on straight most of the time; HOWEVER, you’d be surrounded by herds of idiots out on the roads! I’m continually shocked that humans have lost the intelligence about how to drive even when the roads are clear! When the roads get a little snarky, nobody seems to understand that maintaining normal speed is NOT a good idea. Despite that you might end up as a video depicting what not to do on the nightly news, maintaining that speed is a really stupid decision!! It’s really not worth that moment of dubious fame. One of those idiots could tag you and then where would we be without your photography? And yes, I GET that you really WANT to go anyway. I REALLY want to take Jack out today, but the reality is it ain’t happening. We MIGHT even get some snow. Mind, I’m not holding my breath, but it COULD happen 😉
“you seem to have your head screwed on straight most of the time”
Laura, it’s the word “most” in that sentence that worries me. That and the incredibly stupid drivers that we have more than our fair share of in Utah.
And since you’re not “holding your breath” I’ll bet you could see your breath when you got up this morning since you keep it at 60° in your house at night. 🙂
No, I couldn’t see my breath, but don’t forget I have four dogs (three-dog night is COVERED) AND a real down comforter. I wasn’t even a little bit cold 😉
It’s those “incredibly stupid drivers” I worry about!
Here’s to s s 60 at night! I don’t think I could sleep if it were warmer in my house at night.
I like it cool at night but not that cool.
Beautiful tom! 🙂 Staying home a good idea. Snow and blow here tho west and northwest MUCH worse! Closed 89 between Chouteau and Browning yesterday afternoon – “severe driving” on I-15 from Vaughn to the boarder. Glacier Co. Sheriff says STAY OFF THE ROADS!!! We have 4 or 5″ that I can tell – hard with the blowing. Light fluffy stuff – good news/bad news thing….. ;( Have a wonderful Thanking all……
“Glacier Co. Sheriff says STAY OFF THE ROADS!!!”
Boy did I ever hear that a lot when I lived in Glacier County! My dad used to drive school bus in the winter all the way to the Alberta border (Del Bonita border crossing) from Cut Bank and back. 84 miles of hell round trip in the snow and ice on an isolated 2 lane road. He sure used to tell some harrowing stories.
I’m sure he DID have some tales to tell! Joe has had a few of those from “back when” they didn’t plow out this way and much of the road was gravel – bad enough at times now! Tougher folks than me tho also know “you do what you gotta do!” 60 with an electric blanket “might” work for sleeping! 😉
Handsome guy Ron. Thanks for posting. Hope you have some opportunities out there in the snow and get back home safely without getting stuck somewhere. Happy Thanksgiving to all. Wet here, but no snow till early tomorrow morning.
Everett, I decided to stay home. It’s just too messy out there.
Good call on staying in this morning Ron !! I’ve been watching the weather out there and play it safe for one day and be assures that you will be around to shoot another day !! Happy Thanksgiving and “All the Best” !!!! Gary
“play it safe for one day and be assures that you will be around to shoot another day”
That was my logic too, Gary. Thanks.
Love the turkeys who visit me. I wish a Happy & Healthy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Who couldn’t love turkeys – in the field or on the serving platter… 🙂 Thanks, Sarah.
Wonderful shot Ron! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Charlotte
Thank you, Charlotte.
Happy Thanksgiving to you Ron. Your gift of that lovely bird is a treasure. Have a great day and be careful out on those roads.
Thanks, Cindy. Going is still looking iffy but dammit I wanna get out there! We’ll see…
Happy Thanksgiving to you my friend! Lovely bird; the colors are great. I like this pose. I have never been lucky enough to get a good full display, at least close enough to get a good photo it. I do get them under my bird feeders but only the hens for some reason and they are very wary. One is always scanning the windows looking for any sign of movement. I can see why hunters go through all the ‘dress-up’ for hunting. Be careful out there…still only rain here but just a bit north is in full white!
“they are very wary”
That’s my experience with Wild Turkeys too, Kathy. It’s funny, folks in some areas say they’re “too tame” but in other areas they’re very hard to approach and photograph well. When I find them in wild areas they’re often wary extremely wary.