Flying High

I see so many turkeys on a daily basis, one almost takes them for granted.  The tribes walk through with stately tread or run past like velociraptors, but with few exceptions they are pedestrian birds.  Once inside the goat pen, they seem to forget that they flew over the fence to get there and cry to be let out.  Of late, I've noticed something strange.  This year's crop of turks has begun to fly in the daytime to the highest branches in the oaks like the vultures, hawks, and crows.  In all my years here, I've never seen that before.  I've read that turkeys fly up to roost at night in the treetops, but then I'm not out at night and wouldn't know.  Turkeys have the wingspan of vultures, but are much heavier in body.  Watching them from the milking room yesterday, it was as if one decided to try his wings, landed up in the tree, and said, "Hey, look what I can do!," and the others thought that looked like fun and flew up to join him.  Pretty soon that tree was full of turkeys.  Later in the day, they tried out another tree, and then another.  Is it that the Peeping Toms get a better view into my windows?  There is no food in the trees for them, so that is not the impetus.  Are they thrill-seeking aeronautic adolescents?  I haven't the foggiest idea what has wrought this behavioral change.  What I do know is that if they continue, I shall have to start wearing protective covering as I walk under the trees.