It’s been a while since I talked about the neighborhood turkeys.

They’re still around, but they’ve been less noticeable lately. I think the Toikey de Tutti Toikeys ordered them to back off a little in the name of community relations.

They don’t seem to be traveling in large flocks, filling the street and arguing with drivers as much as they used to. Instead, we get scenes like this:

Yup, it’s the Lone Turkey.

The Lone Turkey isn’t any less aggressive than the flocks were. It took him a good five minutes to cross the street, including a brief stare-down with a driver. He knows he’s a member of a protected species, and he’s quite willing to use that status to his advantage.

It’s worth noting, though, that the driver won the stare-down. He was able to pass the Lone Turkey and continue down the street (much too fast, as usual). Faced with a full pack, he would certainly have had to wait for them to clear the street before he could proceed.

So it’s incremental progress in neighborhood politics. Hopefully the end of the drought–if it ever ends–won’t signal a return of the large flocks.