Thursday, May 31, 2012

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

I went to Bear Hill Regional Park recently to check on the spring flowers (Ladyslippers especially) there. When I reached the summit of the hill I was rewarded by the sight of a half dozen Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) cruising on the thermals. Seeing these birds always reminds me of those dusty spaghetti westerns that were the only place I saw vultures during my youth. I suspect this was because one rarely sees them on the ground here and unless you're a bit of bird watcher they are not easily identifiable in the air.
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2 comments:

  1. Dean LewisMay 31, 2012 at 9:09 AM

    True, our popular culture image of vultures is not good; opportunistic scavengers, etc..
    That aside, they have a soaring majesty and grace in the air very similar to eagles, with a far nobler reputation, only I suppose because they take down their prey alive. Hmmm ...

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  2. JoJoMay 31, 2012 at 11:29 AM

    Cool shot of him in flight. The feathers look neat. I once made the mistake of discarding the Thanksgiving turkey carcass in the woods behind my townhouse in Marin County California. Woke up the next morning to 6-8 turkey vultures in the trees and on the ground pulling apart the carcass.

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