Monday, January 12, 2009

Nope, not gonna go...

This morning, as we were backing out of the garage, Lindsey spotted some vultures flying low over the house, headed west. "They're sure off to the office early today," I quipped. That's the direction they typically take from their communal roost in trees on the Blanco River near downtown.  However, when I returned from school, I happened to notice that three had opted for a layover on our neighbor's antenna. Too funny! 

And obviously, too cold for them to venture any further til temperatures warmed up some. The thermometer read 30 degrees after sunrise, and it was probably even colder up in the air, right? The one on the right is a turkey vulture; the other two are black vultures. 


I also spotted a black vulture, lounging atop an electric pole on our property. A fifth one landed in a live oak in our back yard, but I didn't get a good look at it before it took off.

Believe it or not, vultures are really fascinating birds. To learn more about them, read my article, "Scary Scavengers," Texas Parks & Wildlife, October 2005. (But trust me, vultures aren't scary. That just made for a good title.)   

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