Message-ID: red-47-msg960102225005MTP[01.51.00]000000bd-1678

All the chat over the holidays about primal screams and other ways to
attract raptors and owls reminded me of something that happened a
couple of years ago.

My family was at Wenas, and we were birding lower Hardy Canyon. There
is a beautiful meadow on the north side, with tall grass that was about
eye-high on our son, Tim. He was then around 2 years old. Tim was
rolling in the grass, having a great time. I slinked off to look for
warblers in the bushes. My wife and daughter went off to look at the
stream. Tim was left all alone in the meadow.

After about five minutes, Tim noticed he was all alone, and he started
calling "Ma --- Ma --- Ma --- Ma"

Slowly, reluctantly, I pulled myself away from warbler watching and
went to find Tim; my wife came out of the bushes at the same time I
did. There was Tim, standing in the meadow, looking all around, and
still calling "Maaa --- Maaa". Above him, circling, were two turkey
vultures, about 50 feet up. As soon as they saw that this little lost
lamb had parents, the vultures flew off.

I don't know for sure whether his plaintive wail attracted the
vultures, or whether the appearance of the vultures made him call for
his momma, but it makes a good story either way.

==Michael Hobbs
==Redmond, WA
==MikeHo at Microsoft.com