Here you see three of the leaders of an all-female band (or “raft”) of wild turkeys that roam our area at this time of year. These adult hens usually number 11 or more and they do something that may be unusual for turkeys, which are known as woods and field game.
From time to time, these adventuresome birds go down to the coast at low and lowering tide to forage in the mudflats and among the intertidal plants and algae (rockweed, etc.). It’s hard to see what they’re eating; they fast-strut away or even fly off when they see me. But, I’m fairly sure some of their snacks consist of whole (in-shell) mud snails on the flats and feisty green crabs in the seaweed.
It would be seem just if our restored and seemingly overpopulated wild turkeys developed a taste for our overpopulated invasive green crabs. (Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on November 1, 2024.)