Too much turkey: Wild birds invade B.C. neighbourhood, make 'a fine mess' - Action News
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British Columbia

Too much turkey: Wild birds invade B.C. neighbourhood, make 'a fine mess'

Nearly a dozen turkeys have appeared without explanation and are roving through a subdivision in Mill Bay, B.C., settling on vehicles, pestering pets, and acting like, well, turkeys.

'They just wont move. They are confident, not a thing is worrying them,' Mill Bay resident says

Marie Adam was on her way to her evening book club when she was stopped in her tracks by an unexplained group of rogue turkeys staking out her driveway. (Submitted/Marie Adam)

A group of rogue turkeys that has taken up residence in a Vancouver Island subdivisionbetter smarten up before they end up on the Christmas dinner table.

Residents in Mill Bay, B.C., north of Victoria, have spotted almost a dozen of the birds hanging out in the neighbourhood, roosting on cars and riling up local dogs.Theyappeared without explanation and residents say they are causing a bit of chaos in the community.

Marie Adam has lived in the area for 45 years and was surprised to find about ninemembers of the fowl gang in her yard recently.

"I look out the window and lo and behold there is a big flock of turkeys," Adam said on CBC's All Points West."Just in the backyard pecking away at the lawn."

Her dog spooked them off the property, but later that night they were back in full force.

One theory is the birds, who arrived in the neighbourhood without explanation, usually reside less than 10 kilometres away in the more rural community of Shawnigan Lake. (Submitted/Marie Adam)

Adam was heading to her evening book club, but when she went outside to get in her caralmost a dozen turkeys were roosting on the two vehicles in her driveway.

"It felt like I'd entered the twilight zone," said Adam, whose husband had to physically move the birds because no amount of yelling would rouse them.

"They just won't move.They are confident, not a thing is worrying them," said Adam, adding they "left a fine mess" on the roof of her car.

She said she spoke with a friendof hers wholives nearby whose dog also rushed the flock when it spotted the birds. While the dog was chasing the turkeys around, Adam said her neighbour watched one of the birds fly inside her vehicle which had the back hatch open while parked in her driveway and perch right on her headrest.

About two weeks ago, Marie Adam was surprised to see nine turkeys strutting around in her yard. A vet told her they are wild birds. (Submitted/Marie Adam)

Adam spoke with a local vet who told her the birds are "100 per cent" wild turkeys that normally hang out closer toShawnigan Lake, a rural area less than 10 kilometres away from Mill Bay.

"We really don't want them to hang around," said Adam, who joked that another resident had pointed out people need turkeys on the table at this time of year.

To hear Marie Adam tell her turkey tale, tap the audio link below:

With files from All Points West