Returning from a doctor’s appointment (orthopedist — arthritic knees) on Monday afternoon, I had to stop for a parade.
So why were these turkeys crossing the road? I have no idea. They wander. The real question was why did the last few of them seem to be so reluctant to follow the rest of them. As I pulled up to them, two stayed in my lane and kept looking back in the direction they had come from.
If you look carefully, you will see what they were watching. It’s close to the edge of the photo on the right. At first I thought it was a small turkey. Then I thought it was just a piece of wood or trash. Then I realized.
They were watching a cat. I couldn’t see it very well, but it looked like it might have been a tortoiseshell like Mollie. It turned and walked back into the woods as I passed.
Retreating was probably a good idea, no matter how hungry it might have been or how interested it was in chasing birds. These turkeys were bigger and heavier than the cat. I suspect it would not have fared well if it had attacked, although there seems to be some debate about whether a feral cat could kill a turkey.
This cat was probably dumped by someone and has been living in the woods down at the bottom of the mountain. We have seen cats that we assume are feral living along Huffaker Road, sometimes over periods of months, so they apparently can find enough game to stay alive. For this particular cat on this particular day, it was probably better for the cat not to try to have a turkey dinner.
I’ve read that feral cats (and even house cats let out) are the biggest predators of song birds in the world.
Smart turkeys for being wary. We have a neighbor/friend who spends a good part of her day feeding feral cats all around town. She also traps them and has them neutered. It helps to keep the population from growing and also keeps them fed and maybe less predatory.
Paul — I have heard that, too. I have’t found much evidence that our outdoor cats kill birds, but Sylvester in particular kills a lot of other small wildlife.
Robin — We keep Sylvester fed, but that doesn’t seem to dampen his predatory instincts. He’s a real killer of small animals.