{"id":96521,"date":"2021-10-19T05:47:35","date_gmt":"2021-10-19T11:47:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=96521"},"modified":"2021-10-19T05:47:35","modified_gmt":"2021-10-19T11:47:35","slug":"fall-wild-turkey-hen-foraging-on-desert-ranchlands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/10\/19\/fall-wild-turkey-hen-foraging-on-desert-ranchlands\/","title":{"rendered":"Fall Wild Turkey Hen Foraging On Desert Ranchlands"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AutumnAutumn Wild Turkey hen on desert ranchlands \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The first photos I took with my newly refurbished Nikon D500 with a new shutter assembly were of this Wild Turkey hen foraging on desert ranchlands. At this point I was still trying to get the diopter set for my eyes after Nikon had changed it. When I took this image I was still slightly off on the diopter setting but the auto focus on my D500 worked just fine.<\/p>\n

There were about 15 turkey hens and one tom in this group. Not too far away I spotted many more turkeys foraging on the foothills of the ranchlands.<\/p>\n

I was paying attention to getting my diopter set correctly and didn’t take the time to identify the yellow wildflowers that were in bloom near this hen.<\/p>\n

\"FallFall Wild Turkey hen on desert ranchlands \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I liked this Wild Turkey hen photo because her eyes weren’t fully open which gave her a sloe-eyed look.<\/p>\n

Since the beginning of autumn I have been hoping to photograph some fall Wild Turkeys so I was happy that I found this flock.<\/p>\n

As I worked up these two images of the Wild Turkey hens I thought about the way we group birds and how I detest that Wild Turkeys, grouse, partridges, pheasants, quail, prairie chickens, ptarmigans, and chachalacas are grouped as “upland game birds<\/span><\/a>” in field guides and on line which to me just seems wrong.<\/p>\n

Having the word “game” in there is what bothers me. I come from a family of hunters and have no issue with people hunting as long as they eat what they hunt. The use of “upland game birds” is an American thing. Personally I think of these birds as upland ground birds<\/em> because most of the species included in this family grouping forage on the ground. I wouldn’t have a problem with calling them upland birds<\/em> either. No offense intended towards hunters but they were birds eons before they were game. Just a thought.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Wild Turkey photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The first photos I took with my newly refurbished Nikon D500 with a new shutter assembly were of this Wild Turkey hen foraging on desert ranchlands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":96510,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,1148,26,3793],"tags":[4004,6577,4098,4070,4359,3795,11852,4470,953,3796,5501,401,3794,4307,5063],"class_list":["post-96521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-utah","category-wild-turkeys","tag-adult","tag-branches","tag-desert","tag-female","tag-hen","tag-meleagris-gallopavo","tag-ranchlands","tag-rocks","tag-standing","tag-turkey","tag-turkeys","tag-upland-game-birds","tag-wild-turkey","tag-wildflowers","tag-yellow-wildflowers"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t