Two turkeys strolling through Bartram’s Garden last summer. (Photo by West Philly Local)

Some people have written us with concerns about the turkey that has been spotted strolling around the neighborhood in recent days. As suspected, the turkey appears to be from Bartram’s Garden.

The turkey apparently got into a territorial dispute with his brother and took off. Spokeswoman Kim Massare said the Bartram’s Garden staff is interested in getting updates on the turkey, but other than that there is not much that can be done.

“They are federally protected birds and they generally have a wide territory,” said Massare. “If it’s in good health and seems happy there’s no reason to be concerned.”

If the bird does appear to be injured, she suggested contacting the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge or the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, which operates a wildlife rehabilitation clinic.

Otherwise, you can help document the bird’s whereabouts by snapping a photo, leaving a comment here or visiting the Bartram’s Garden Facebook page here.

A turkey, possibly one of those in the photo above, rambling down 50th Street near Springfield. (Photo courtesy of @kayasinfo on Twitter)

Here are a couple of shots from the neighborhood featuring volunteers cleaning up Cedar Park and wonderful spring blossoms.

Unfortunately, another shooting has been reported in West Philadelphia. A 44-year-old man was fatally shot Friday night at approximately 5:30 p.m. near 52nd and Chester. The victim, who was found in a car, had been shot multiple times, police said. Police believe he was the target.

UPDATE: Guncrisis.org is reporting that two men approached the man as he sat in a red Dodge Charger and fired 15 shots at close range. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Fatal shootings were down considerably during the first few months of 2013 compared to last year, but they are rising again quickly. Guncrisis.org reports that there have been 33 shooting incidents in the city over the past 48 hours, including at least seven fatalities.

– Mike Lyons

A turkey has been trotting around the neighborhood south of Baltimore from 45th to 49th streets the last few mornings. Several folks have spotted the bird. A neighbor, Claire, snapped the photos below this morning at about 7:30 a.m.

Be careful out there, little buddy!

Photos by Claire King.

This photo of a turkey strolling down 50th street near Springfield is courtesy of @Kayasinfo on Twitter.

This Saturday (Apr. 13) between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., many residents will be joining forces to clean and beautify their neighborhoods as part of the citywide initiative. Residents and community groups were asked to register their cleanup projects on the Streets Department website and over 500 projects have been posted throughout the city, with dozens in West Philadelphia.

If you would like to volunteer in one of the organized efforts please click on the map below to go to the projects page. Or you can just step outside and clean around your home, office, school, in a nearby park, or an empty lot.

Nora Nafaa, a graduate student from France, is doing research on the school system in Philadelphia with focus on West Philly schools. As part of the study, she is seeking parents’ input. She put together an online survey that takes only about 10 minutes to complete. The survey is anonymous (your name will not be used in the study) and Nora hopes to get most honest responses. Some of the things Nora is interested in is school choices, what help children receive at and outside of school, quality of schools, and school closings.

To access the survey, click here.