Heard on Main Street: Don’t talk to me about wildlife.
The Vineyard Haven library welcomes “Le Tour de France: Up Close and Personal” with former ABC Sports producer Robin Rivera on July 1. This is an event I would love to see, though not a common choice for me.
For years our neighborhood has been overwhelmed with turkeys — especially, our yard has been. When our daughter married 20 years ago, we put sheets on the ground all the way to the car to keep her dress clean.
And hunters have been known to shoot some within a few blocks as well. But not recently.
Three weeks ago, my son came to the Island the day before he drove me off for his daughter’s graduation. That night as we sat at the supper table, a very heavy (huge) tom turkey attempted to fly from my front yard up onto my roof (my recently new roof).
Fat turkeys like to run a bit, flapping their wings very fast to get off the ground. They fly up onto the roof. They can then soar into the high limbs of tall trees in my backyard. This one missed dreadfully. As he slipped, he scrabbled desperately to get hold of the gutter, but only bent and broke some parts. He then fell onto the small front porch with a crash. He jumped off the porch when my son opened the door. Then, I am happy to say, he scrabbled away down our dirt road.
You may not be aware that when any small or large bird takes off to fly, they “empty their bowels.” I should not have to describe the mess that makes.
I understand that we only have turkeys on the Island because the state brought them here. Unfortunately, they never asked me. A year or so ago I counted 40 turkeys in my yard, on the same day the state supposedly counted the total on the Island, and only found something like 21.
I understand the state also has a film, “Living with Turkeys in Massachusetts.” I won’t be looking for that. A hen in my neighbor’s yard this morning has 10 Nerf-ball-size babies with her.
I just discovered that we have a state law that “wildlife found damaging property” can be killed (I guess with a slingshot, in our town). Now I can’t find the Island company that put up my gutters.
Big bunches of birthday balloon wishes go out on Sunday to J.B. Lamont and Fredrick Nash.
Heard on Main Street: Saturday is Flag Day, a time to honor the flag as a symbol of our nation. Somehow that seems more important than ever. Fly the flag.
If you have any Tisbury Town Column suggestions, email Kay Mayhew, tashmoorock@gmail.com.
