Wild turkeys are invading South Jersey neighborhoods, boldly trekking across lawns and roads as if Thanksgiving wasn't looming.
An angry tom chased a curious photographer away from a flock of six recently in Hainesport, shaking its head and wattle and chirping incessantly. It clearly was claiming Deacon Road, on the edge of a woods in Burlington County, as its territory.
Up until 10 days ago, a flock of 100 to 200 roamed a tiny housing cluster in Deptford, Gloucester County. Over a month, the birds left behind messy droppings and occasionally stalled traffic.
Then, suddenly, the flock vanished.
Resident Bill Robinson speculates that leaf blowers frightened the gobblers away. Or maybe it was a bow-and-arrow hunter in the area, he said.
Or perhaps the birds' survival instinct kicked in when neighbors began carrying home grocery bags packed with cranberries and gravy mix.
After receiving complaints from residents in the Westville Grove section of Deptford, state biologists were gearing to trap the birds this week.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/n...bbling_up_more_territory_in_South_Jersey.html
An angry tom chased a curious photographer away from a flock of six recently in Hainesport, shaking its head and wattle and chirping incessantly. It clearly was claiming Deacon Road, on the edge of a woods in Burlington County, as its territory.
Up until 10 days ago, a flock of 100 to 200 roamed a tiny housing cluster in Deptford, Gloucester County. Over a month, the birds left behind messy droppings and occasionally stalled traffic.
Then, suddenly, the flock vanished.
Resident Bill Robinson speculates that leaf blowers frightened the gobblers away. Or maybe it was a bow-and-arrow hunter in the area, he said.
Or perhaps the birds' survival instinct kicked in when neighbors began carrying home grocery bags packed with cranberries and gravy mix.
After receiving complaints from residents in the Westville Grove section of Deptford, state biologists were gearing to trap the birds this week.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/n...bbling_up_more_territory_in_South_Jersey.html