Talking Turkey about acorns

Why have we not seen any Blue Jays at our feeders all this winter? Why are Wild Turkeys and deer suddenly so abundant in back yards?

Connecticut has lots of trees, in fact it is the 14th most forested state in the USA (as well as the 4th most densely populated by humans). Acorns and other nuts and tree seeds ("mast") make up more than half the diet of White-tailed Deer and Wild Turkeys. Oak trees produced a bumper crop of acorns the previous fall and winter (2021-22). Turkeys and deer thrived and multiplied. 

This winter there were almost no acorns. A combination of factors produced failure of the mast crop, including depletion of the energy stores of the trees following the abundant yield in 2021. Oaks face increased competition from maple, birch and ash trees whose shade kills oak seedlings. They crowd out the lower branches of mature oaks, turning them into "poles" able to produce acorns only high on their sunlit narrow crowns. 

Drought conditions prevailed during spring and summer of last year, and there were damaging late spring ice storms, making the trees more subject to diseases and insect invasions, virtually eliminating production of acorns. State botanists forecasted widespread acorn crop failure for the fall 2022 season (Reference below).  

On the morning of April 4, while driving to the market, we encountered a band of a dozen or more Wild Turkeys along the edge of the road near our home. Luckily, there was no traffic and I was able to stop, open the car window and get a few photos with my iPhone before they disappeared into the brush: 

Breeding season is just about over. Two large males (Toms), instead of pursuing females, were displaying to each other. This one appeared to dominate the other: 

In fall, Blue Jays are usually very busy collecting acorns and burying them. They have an uncanny ability to remember the locations of their cached winter supplies. Normally, most Blue Jays migrate south for the winter. A varying number, either local birds or those from further north are seen during winter, depending upon availability of food.  While I failed to obtain any photos of Blue Jays this winter, this is one of many which visited our back yard in October, 2022:

A few spring migrants have arrived. Chipping Sparrows disappeared during the coldest months, but I photographed this first one through the window, also on April 4, an unusually warm and sunny day:

Some Carolina Wrens occupy the lower elevations around the lake all winter, but rarely venture up to our yard. This one visited on April 4, singing in the budding Red Maple at the back lawn, photographed with no intervening windows:

The Gray Squirrels fare very well without acorns by raiding the feeders The feeders are brought inside every night to discourage bears, which also suffered from the failure of the mast crop:

Black-capped Chickadees were active as usual:

Taking advantage of the break after more than a week of miserable weather (also on April 5) MaryLou and I were able to walk down to the lake, about 120 feet lower in elevation. We took note of how the flowers were more than a week ahead of ours. These are Creeping Myrtle (Periwinkles), escaped from cultivation:

Daffodils were already blooming along the lake, while ours had not yet developed buds:

The clear-cut back acres do not yet show green, but the tops of the trees are tinted red by fresh buds:

The first day of April was marked by the arrival of a powerful cold front. The skies had been clear, but before sunset a very menacing solid cloud bank approached from the northwest. The clouds blotted out the sun and loomed like a mountain behind the distant hills:

Ref: 2022 Connecticut Oak Mast Survey Results

In a hardwood forest, a minimum of 15 oak trees, 14 inches diameter at breast height (dbh) or larger, will provide the necessary food source for mast dependent wildlife species such as deer, turkey and squirrels.

In Connecticut, oaks are the most valuable mast producer. White oaks produce a very palatable, sweet mast every year and red oaks produce a bitter mast crop every other year. White oak acorns, because of their palatability, generally do not last through the winter, while red oak acorns remain available, providing a food supply during critical periods of scarce food.

This week's header: Cold front approaching

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Saturday's Critters

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