Some of you may know the story of how, when our founding fathers were deciding on the national bird, Ben Franklin lobbied for the Wild Turkey, and argued vigorously against the Bald Eagle. The man knew his birds. He knew that the Eagle, majestic as it is,  is an opportunistic scavenger. He also knew that the Eagle has a habit of stealing prey from smaller raptors, often bullying them into dropping their catch before they can reach a safe perch. Ben did not think a big, aggressive, bullying, scavenger should be the emblem of our new nation. On the other hand, I have never quite understood his affection for the Wild Turkey…jaded as I am by too many Thanksgiving dinners featuring farm raised turkey…boyhood images of the big commercial turkey farm near home, and the gobbler my grandfather always free ranged on his farm…fattening him up for the feast. And then of course there is the cultural stigma attached to the name by now…also based, I am certain, on farm raised turkeys…which are about as mindless as a bird can get. (I put the mindlessness down to generations of interbreeding aimed only at increasing the size of the bird’s breast.) And then I come upon a bird like the one pictured here…and I know exactly what Ben was on about in his defense of the Wild Turkey as our national bird. This is as handsome and industrious a creature as ever walked the earth…and beautiful in the bargain. And peaceful. Willing (and able…note that spur on the leg just into the frame at the bottom) to defend itself and its females and pults…but not aggressive or needlessly assertive in any way. I have to wonder what difference it might have made in our national character if Ben had had his way…and we were the nation of the Wild Turkey and not the Bald Eagle. Ah well…Franklin lost the debate to others more concerned about prestige and far less knowledgeable about birds. 

Sony Rx10iii at 600mm equivalent. Program mode. 1/250th @ ISO 320 @ f4 out the window of a running car. Processed in Polarr.