what a guy!

All the Sea Ranch turkeys love to follow the little paths on the side of road, and goodness, are they funny birds. For instance, one morning, two males gadded up to my kitchen window; I began tapping the pane and immediately both started gobbling! With every tap came a gobble, but they ran away before I could get enough of it. Another funny thing they do is this: males go up to the horse paddocks and 'present' themselves (this is when the turkey goes from smooth and long to fanned and fluffed). Those poor turkeys feel they must intimidate the grazing horses lest beasts get out of hand. So they march back and forth down the side of the fences like little awkward soldiers, so proud of themselves and without a doubt that their display is indeed inspiring fear in the breasts of "...those pitiful, inferior equines." (their words, not mine)
As I was driving home from a walk on the bluff (with Marley!), I came upon the fat figure of a presented turkey on the trail next to the road. He was trying very hard to attract the attention of two plain females nearby, each of whom were busy pecking at the ground, their brown tail feathers pointing directly at his display. He was obviously proud of himself, thinking himself to be quite a catch; he also most likely had an ego outrageously larger than the average Sea Ranch turkey (perhaps he had just finished squaring a parked car into submission?). Unfortunately for him, another very clear point was that the wind was not aware of his romantic ideas. It was furiously strong! Blasting so, his foofed feathers were awkwardly and asynchronously shunting and bending; his little feet couldn't keep his bulging body steady; and every gobble that rose from the wrinkly red throat was immediately drowned.
I didn't stay to observe the outcome; known for their amazing eyesight, I was afraid he would notice me parked and laughing, and I thought he was in enough embarrassment already.