An amazing event has happened in our yard here in the Wind River Canyon, two male Wild Turkeys have apparently taken up residence in the middle of the Canyon, and now regularly come Wild Turkeys, Wind River Canyon, WyomingWild Turkeys, In My Yard, Wind River Canyon, Wyoming. down for a visit and to scrounge some of the sunflower seeds we put up for the wild birds. 

     For those of you that aren't initiated, Wild Turkeys are smart, large and can be very intimidating during the right time of the year, much stronger than 180 proof!  These two however have come to accept me, since they've seen me before while I was chasing them around the Canyon with a camera; now they're friendly and very vocal with me.  I sit just one meter (3 feet) from them with apparently no fear from any of us, just like old friends over for a visit and a bite to eat.

     Yesterday while I was working on some photos of the Wild Turkeys on a computer, I saw a large hawk zip away from the other side of the wall (portions of the diversion dam from the Boysen Reservoir construction long ago) and made my patented double-whistle to see if any of Wild Turkey, Portrait of Tom, Wind River Canyon, WyomingPortrait of a Wild Turkey, Photographed in the Wind River Canyon, Wyoming. the smaller wildlife would respond.  I heard instead my Wild Turkeys calling out from the junipers not far away.  Now understand that I use this whistle to let the wildlife know that it's me again, and not some huge animal come to eat them!  But from the pines I heard the distinctive gobble of Wild Turkeys calling back to me.  The older of the two came down the driveway like an old friend visiting our cabin.  

     In over seven years of wildlife photography, I've had these moments when a wild animal will come to accept your presence with them: hummingbirds will come right up to you and look you over, a buck deer I know will seek me out for a visit, Mountain Chickadees are notoriously friendly and have little fear of anything.  It may sound strange, but these moments are like Harry Potter magic!  I try not to analyze why these magical wildlife moments happen, I've long come to the accept that some animals are as curious of us.  As long as it can't eat you....go with the flow and enjoy your time together with Mother Nature.  We all need to reconnect with that wild part of ourselves that lies so deep within our own consciousness.  

     It's very important that we protect these wild places for those generations to come, because if we let industry permanently ruin these few remaining wildlife sanctuaries, humans will be loosing a very great part of what has made us the dominant species on this planet, and our own place in it will surely diminish without them.

Wild Turkey Portrait, Wind River Canyon, WyomingWild Turkey Portrait, Wind River Canyon, Wyoming.    

     I love being able to make Wild Portraits of the animals that survive in the Wind River Canyon, and here's a portrait of a very intimidating character that's a lot friendlier than he looks.  Trust me when I tell you that he really can be stronger than that famous whiskey of the same name; doesn't he look like he could kick your butt?

     They came down for another visit while I was writing this week's blog: "Keep your camera ready!"