Don’t be a turkey: Count them!

Turkeys at the HVNY office / niki@hvny.info

We have let our front yard go a bit wild this summer, mowing paths to our gardens and fruit trees instead of clear cutting for a boring lawn’s sake. One neighbor pulled up to ask: Is your mower broken? No sir. What about all the ticks? Well, the turkeys have been taking care them! (And loving all the seed and other bugs the yard is providing, sir).

The turkeys come through every day, taking dirt baths next to the lavender in the new garden (and eating any pests lingering about), roaming all around the yard and even testing out their new perching skills in the dogwood tree while the moms – up to four adult females yesterday! – keep an eye on their surroundings.

Every time we look out lately, there are more turkeys. And while that may not be good news for our tick population, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation wants the community’s help to keep tabs on the number of turkeys spotted across the state. “This index allows us to gauge reproductive success each year and allows us to predict fall harvest potential. Weather, predation, and habitat conditions during the breeding and brood-rearing seasons can all significantly impact nest success, hen survival, and poult survival.”

During the month of August, residents are encouraged to participate in the summer turkey survey to assist in monitoring the wild turkey population. If you see a bunch of turkeys, use the DEC’s online form to submit a separate report for each flock of turkeys observed, including those without poults (young birds). Try not to report the same flock multiple times; numerous duplications will bias the results.



HVNY

Information for everyday living in the Hudson Valley, New York • hvny.info

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