Subject: Turkey Vulture Migration
Date: Oct 05 09:52:00 1995
From: "Gates, Bryan" - BGATES at assessment.env.gov.bc.ca


On Oct 4, Gene Hunn wrote:

>I suspect that TVs cross from Victoria either directly to Pt. Townsend or
>cut east along the south edge of San Juan Is. (where large movements may
>be evident in September) to Whidbey then down mostly along the slopes
>west of Hood Canal thence south with occasional flocks drifting down
>along the east edge of the sound, thus over Seattle. They seem to go
>down both sides of the Willapa Hills as they seem particularly common
>east of Elma and at Tokeland.

Gene:

I can't comment on the movements once these birds reach Washinton (indeed,
that was the point of a question in my earlier posting, and you may have
answered at least part of it), but it is becoming more clear each autumn that
virtually all of our TUVUs (and many of our other raptors) go as far
south on Vanc. Is. as they can and then take the shortest route across
the water; thus, from the very southern tip of Vancouver Island, which is
at Rock Point/East Sooke Park southwest of Victoria, to the closest point on
the Olympic Peninsula, which is the vicinity of Angeles Point to Port
Angeles. (Of course, winds over the Juan de FucaStrait may push them a
little east or a little west).

This was demonstrated three years ago when our team at Rocky Point watched as
200 TUVUs (or was it 202?) "thermalled" very high and then set out gliding
south across the Strait. Contact with an observer on the Washington side
that afternoon confirmed that "about 200" were seen to arrive from over the
water near Port Angeles about an hour later. Many other observations of
birds setting out from Rocky Point/East Sooke Park have been documented,
but without knowledge of where they hit land. What we need is radio contact
with some of you tweeters on the Port Angeles side.

Although we see kettles of TUVUs in Victoria City and Saanich in September,
they most often drift SW toward Rocky Point. I have received no confirmed
reports of birds crossing from Victoria/Saanich directly to San Juan Is. or
Port Townsend, but would be interested in such reports.

It seems more likely to me, then, that thePort Townsend birds that Gene
mentios are those that have reached Port Angeles from Rocky Point and have
then drifted east. They may then move into Puget Sound/Seattle.
Admittedly, this may not explain Gene's statement of "large movements" on the
east side of San Juan Island in September.

Any more ideas?

Bryan Gates, Victoria
bgates at assessment.env.gov.bc.ca