Turkey Vulture

[Sage]

Yes, that's a turkey vulture!

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by Sage

Yes, that's a turkey vulture!

How cool! I'm glad I got to see one up close. Big bird!

[williamf]

Between the highways and the hunters we manage to support an active community of buzzards, to give them the local common name. The power-line that runs a quarter mile or so from my place is a favorite resting place for them. They will line up wingtip to wingtip on the crossbars of the double poles.
Usually they fly solo, in pairs, or a few together but sometimes they congregate in a flock of dozens. None of that fancy synchronized flying like pigeons or blackbirds, though; it's every bird for himself.
A couple of weeks ago I was helping a neighbor with some mowing when this lot showed up on the horizon; even in the rather poor cell phone photo I count more than thirty.
Wm

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by williamf

They will line up wingtip to wingtip on the crossbars of the double poles.

Now *that* would be something to see!

Originally Posted by williamf

Usually they fly solo, in pairs, or a few together but sometimes they congregate in a flock of dozens. None of that fancy synchronized flying like pigeons or blackbirds, though; it's every bird for himself.

Thanks for the interesting information.

Originally Posted by williamf

...even in the rather poor cell phone photo I count more than thirty.
Wm

I might need a new pair of glasses... or a point in the right direction, but I didn't see any buzzards in the picture!

[havalotta]

Looks like you'll be needing a pair of new goggles...I see them. All kinds of em.

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by havalotta

Looks like you'll be needing a pair of new goggles...I see them. All kinds of em.

Well... I went back and enlarged the picture, then spotted them (I think). They are in the *sky*, right? I was scanning the ground and the trees, but not the sky the first time.

Maybe I can keep my glasses' prescription after all.

[Sage]

And here is a Black Vulture! Isn't it beautiful?

[williamf]

Originally Posted by dapjwy

Well... I went back and enlarged the picture, then spotted them (I think). They are in the *sky*, right? I was scanning the ground and the trees, but not the sky the first time.

Maybe I can keep my glasses' prescription after all.

There you go. I'm afraid the cell phone doesn't do panoramic very well.
Wm

[havalotta]

She SURE IS! Sage

[dapjwy]

I'd never have done anything like this before reading about it here on WG...I took a shovel to bring roadkill into my yard to attract turkey vultures! There was a racoon that was hit on the road close to our driveway in our front yard.

Having read about vulture feeding platforms and such here, I decided to bring it into the yard, so that I could get so pictures. No more than a couple hours after moving it, I spotted a turkey vulture perched in our yard. I went in through the front door hoping not to scare it off...and grabbed the camera. By the time I got to the back yard, it was gone.

I didn't take any pictures of the roadkill itself, so the squeamish can continue to read this. I put it in an out of the way place, and I've walked past it a few times...it is nearly gone, so something has been feasting on it.

Today, I got a video of two vultures circling near our yard, but that is all...no close ups or anything. I'm not hoping for more roadkill, but I bet I'd do it again...hopefully getting some good photos and keeping those attacted to if off the road.

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