A Sure Sign Of Fall

Posted on October 12, 2019October 12, 2019 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

New England Colors 2018

Its a Sure Sign Of Fall

Turkeys behind the office- Canton MA 2019

A sure sign that its fall in New England isn’t just the colorful foliage. Its the return of the turkeys. Some communities have reported the turkeys all year ’round but I usually see them in the fall. How brave these birds are …or maybe stupid…to show up right before the big day. You know the one, pie, stuffing green bean casserole and oh yeah, that big bird in the middle of the table ready for carving. Do you suppose these wild birds know that we use turkeys that we grew just for the purpose of eating?

Wild Turkeys Canton MA Oct 2019

Wild Turkeys are Mean

The wild turkeys we have around here are bold and aggressive. They have been known to trap motorists in their cars. They are either stupid or very brave as they show no fear of humans. Me, I’m kind of on the fence. I’ve been threatened by more Canada Geese than I have Turkeys. I like to photograph them. Now that I know they are back I plan to bring the good camera with me instead of relying my cell phone camera. I love when the males start strutting around, fanning their tails and displaying for all the lady turkeys.

Strange Turkey Behaviors

There was a turkey video that made it on to an Animal Planet show and I recently saw it again on “Strange Evidence”. Filmed in Randolph MA it seems to show a satanic turkey ritual. Why not? Randolph Is only a hop skip and jump from Salem MA. Why not a Coven of Turkeys?

Watch Out Turkeys

So all you Turkeys out there whether wild or witches BEWARE. Turkey hunting season is upon us. Yes here in MA we can start defending ourselves on October 22. There are still some folks who prefer a wild turkey rather than domestic turkey for the center piece of their Thanksgiving table.

Exotic Animal Sanctuary Right Here In Massachusetts!

Posted on August 25, 2017August 25, 2017 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

Welcome to Animal Adventures

The sun came out after all so I was off to check out Animal Adventures. It was really easy to find and only an hour drive. Once you take the exit off 495 you’re practically there. I was anxious to see what they consider exotic as far as animals are concerned. The parking is minimal and cars lined the street when I arrived. I didn’t expect such a crowd.

First Impressions are important.

Ham Solo

It was a little after 1 pm when I arrived. As I approached the entrance I saw a well built play castle that young children were climbing on. A staff member greeted me and pointed me to the entrance where I could buy my ticket and get an arm band. I passed a pot bellied pig named Ham Solo. He made me think of my friend’s little pig. Those tails never stop wagging!

There was a presentation going on in the next room. It looked like a full house. So far the staff I was meeting were all very warm and friendly. I decided to explore the grounds first and catch the next show at 3:30.

Where do they get all these animals?

As I wandered from cage to cage I felt very bad for some of the animals. The cages were clean but in many cases small and dark. The animals seemed to be well cared for if a bit cramped. They have some really interesting creatures. There are a pair of Eurasian owls, a red fox and a white fox. I don’t think it was an albino because it’s eyes didn’t look pink.

A gorgeous serval cat had it’s own couch to lounge on.There were bunnies and alligators, an arctic fox. (It looked like a mini gray wolf), a bobcat, goats, a pony and monkey. (Deep breath) A turkey, a tortoise, some chinchilla’s, hamsters and more. There were snakes and reptiles for the folks that love those scaly creatures . I guess you could say something for everyone. And you know what, all of these animals are abandoned. They come from Zoos, private owners, shelters and breeders. These poor animals don’t know what it is to be wild. They are totally dependent on humans for survival.

I think the staff truly love and care about the animals and try their best. But it’s still sad.

Turkeys!

Posted on April 22, 2011April 22, 2011 by Dusty Roads

Ah the wildlife you can see on Massachusetts highways! I had left Patriot’s Place fully intending to head right home. No more stops and between the fresh air, the walk and the early morning wake-up call, I needed a nap. But nature had another surprise for me.

It’s almost as if Mother Nature said “Ok you missed the geese, see what you can do with this!”

I was almost at the turn off for RT 140 when right there on the side of the road was a Tom Turkey and a pair of hens. Now I’ve seen plenty of wild turkeys. We have our own flock at work. They come visit every spring and fall but I still get a thrill seeing any animal in the wild.

I pulled into a little strip mall and grabbed the camera. There was a sidewalk so I just casually started walking along the sidewalk. One of the hens took off and actually flew across the road. I knew turkeys could fly but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one do it. They are so clumsy. The other hen went the other way into the brush. The Tom didn’t know which way to go so he fluffed up his feathers and displayed for me then he walked into the road! It looked like a suicide mission for sure!

My heart was in my throat. I didn’t even think to take any pictures while he made his dangerous trek. I just watched and prayed he’s get across. He was lucky. Everyone stopped for him and he made it safely to the other side. He never hurried.

I was about to turn around and go back to the car when Mr. Tom decided to come back across to my side. I was sure he was going to be road-kill because a big delivery truck was barreling down the road right at him. That silly turkey, instead of hurrying, stopped right in the middle of that lane and fluffed out his feathers again in display for the truck! He just stood there staring down that vehicle! That’s one Macho turkey. 🙂 Thankfully the driver was able to stop and Mr. Turkey continued to strut his stuff back to my side of the road.

Back where he started he looked around, then headed off after the hen that had slipped away into the brush. They are really ugly-looking birds except for their feathers. His head gleamed a bright blue, his body feathers were shades of green, brown and blue in the spring sunlight. I never noticed that coloring on the wild turkeys we see where I work. I watched him for a little while and then headed home. This time for sure:)