Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Wildlife on the Farm

Wild Turkey

Coyote Family

I had promised you all some more photos of the wildlife I've managed to photograph recently. The wild turkey was a huge surprise even though I thought I'd heard them several times this spring. Although the turkeys are making a come-back in our area, I'd never seen them on our farm.

The coyotes are another story as they are not native to North Carolina and not very welcome either. I've been told that someone brought a mating pair into our county 30 or 40 years ago and the explosion of sightings is due to this error in judgment on the part of that idiot! I had spotted a lone coyote a year or so ago loping across the far hay field and saw a single one this spring right after our hay was cut. Then, right after my sisters left, we saw a pair of them foraging in the hay field behind the barn (about 150 yards from the barn). Imagine my surprise when the whole family appeared this past week! Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you want to look at it!), they were about 200 yards from me and it was getting dusky-dark. I got several photos but none that were really sharp and clear.

I have tons of photo of deer and rabbits too but I think a lot of the wildlife probably comes out at night more so than in the day when I'm ready with the camera!

If I spot anything else, I'll keep you posted!

2 comments:

Jeanette Jobson said...

Great shots Jan, especially the coyotes with the pups. And I'd be cultivating those wild turkeys in time for Thanksgiving! :)

Like you, I love to see different wildlife appear on the farm, but coyotes are a different story.

They are an introduced species in Newfoundland, having travelled over on sea ice in the winter and have spread like wildfire.

I shall never forgive them for killing my ducks one evening. I see them in the meadow behind the house now and then and they can be aggressive at times.

Moose are our challenge. There were two in the yard as I got home yesterday from work. I don't mind them but they are dangerous on the road as they spring out in front of you suddenly.

Teresa said...

We've got wild turkeys too (and a few political ones... but we won't get into that here!) but haven't seen or heard any coyotes.