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Where We Left Off:
The Winchester-Nabu Detective Agency began its 10th year of investigations with an incredible discovery right inside the residence.
Life Out of Balance:
At the end of March, the crocuses bloomed. Chipmunks were back out. Gus and Ollie were having wonderful adventures outside. Right before meditation around 7:30 AM, the cat detectives called me to the balcony. They were suspicious and excited about something in the yard.
“You have to see this,” Oliver said trying not to startle the visitor in the fern garden.
“What do you think he wants?” Gus said when I reached his side.
“I think I know,” I said. “I’ve been getting the emails from the state about hunting and that fella is about to be a target.”
April 18, 2026 was the opening of turkey hunting season. We could hear the distant gobbling sounds now and then. After seeing this solo visitor in the yard, I had only spotted one more, maybe the same one, weeks later in the neighbors’ yard. Since we can’t go exploring up the hill, we don’t have a good chance of seeing them even though turkeys will come into the yard on rare occasions.
The cats and I continued to observe our visitor. I took some photos and notes. The turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) had a long beard indicating it was a male. I’ve never seen one lift their tail plumage which is normally how they’re depicted.
Since the Bunny Hollow political system was destroyed and there’s no longer a mayoral election for that specific neighborhood of the estate, the animals are left with other boards and agencies to make sense of cohabitating with humans. The turkeys were among the groups deeply concerned about what the new owners of the land were doing. They were part of a caucus held outside of Winchester-Nabu boundaries. The last thing we want is for turkeys to become endangered or extinct. If you are a meat-eater, you should look up the effects of industrial farming on turkeys (and other animals) compared to wild game. I’ve heard the taste is completely different.
“The American settlers first started hunting turkeys way back in the 1600s because they were plentiful on the land and relatively easy to hunt. The settlers also began clearing forests to make farmland, which hurt the turkey population. By 1813, things had escalated so much that the state of Connecticut had lost its turkey population. Hunting continued to get out of control, and by 1920, it’s believed that 18 out of the existing 39 states had lost their turkey populations, leaving only about 2%—or about 200,000—of the remaining turkeys alive. Luckily, conservation efforts began in the 1940s, and the population was brought back.” A-Z Animals
Why Was This Turkey Here?
We know that the wild turkeys pass through here from time to time, but it is rare. This particular turkey was interested in the corn kernels on the garden wall. Squirla Moon, a resident red squirrel, lives in that area with a couple of her daughters. The Gnomes are also on duty nearby in Gnome Grove. Between those contacts, we were able to get more information about this turkey’s visit.
Gnome DePlume (the new identity for Gnome Chomsky) and Raphael had confidently spoken the large bird. They reported that the bird didn’t have much to say, but what it did communicate was continued grave concern about the destruction of the habitat going on up the hill. I didn’t believe it when I first read that turkeys can make a purr sound like cats! It’s one of their vocalizations. This turkey must have felt safe in our yard because it didn’t make any sounds or movements that indicated it was feeling danger. Perhaps that was because we were observing from a distance back at the house. It wasn’t afraid of Gnome DePlume and Raphael walking over to say hello.
Besides vocalizing, turkeys communicate non-verbally. Their head colors and snoods change with their moods*. This visitor’s head was purplish and red. The lilac coloring could indicate that the turkey’s mood was shifting from blue to red. Here’s what A-Z Animals says about it:
“This is possible due to bundles of collagen that are mixed with a dense array of blood vessels. As a result, their heads can change to blue, red, or white. A light blue or white head generally means the turkey is feeling dominant. Red means the turkey is being submissive, fearful, or worried.”
We know I’m not a particularly good photographer. I usually have to sharpen images and lower highlights before I post a photo. I didn’t do anything that would alter the coloring or pigmentation of this turkey. However, camera settings might play in role. With the Canon, I usually try the color setting “Faithful” or “Landscape.” These photos were taken at f/8, 1/500 second exposure, ISO-800 at 300 mm.
DePlume and Raphael made a connection with the visitor. They might be able to speak a multitude of animal and maging languages, but I certainly cannot. I can’t say or spell the turkey’s name in its native language so he’s been given the alias Mel Gallo for the case files. They learned that Mel and others were planning another caucus to discuss the current deforestation here as well as a bigger issue in the area of construction (warehouses, data centers, and developments). The Gnomes suggested to Mel that they invite Squirla Moon and her daughters to speak or at least attend their conference. Squirla and her family are scientists with different concentrations of expertise. Mitzi and Greta might be the best choices since climate change and the deeper roots of colonization are important to them. Mel agreed to meet Mitzi and Greta and see if they would be a good fit for the Small Mammal Delegation.
Case Findings:
A large male turkey stopped by the fern garden where he found a buffet of corn on the wall. Gnome DePlume and Raphael were dispatched from Gnome Grove to meet this turkey and see if he needed any help to prepare for the upcoming hunting season. What they learned was that the wildlife of the back hills were planning another environmental caucus. The turkey, Mel Gallo, was open to the suggestion of inviting two of the small red squirrels, Mitzi and Greta, to be part of this event and join the Small Mammal Delegation.
While creating this case file, witnesses at the Winchester-Nabu estate have heard more chainsawing of trees up the hill as the deforestation continues to ruin the wildlife habitat.
Case Status: Closed
Resources:
* There’s an excellent example of the snood elongating and head color changing on the same turkey at FarmSanctuary.org.