Hello, Tweets

Time for some more turkey vulture stuff . . .

This September-October turkey vulture report does not include our
"official" count at the Salt Creek monitoring site; that will be posted
separately. What is included here are the many reports received from
direct e-mail messages plus gleaned from Tweeters. As always, these
reports are very much appreciated and you all have my sincere thanks.

September, 1998

All summer - 17-24 three miles north of Enumclaw
01 Sept - 12 near Cedar Butte, east of North Bend
05 Sept - 1 at 4 miles north of Lacey
15 Sept - 1 over Camano Island, 3 at the Samish Flats
22 Sept - 10 circling over Discover Island (just off Oak Bay, Victoria,
B.C., 11 over S.E. Bellevue
23 Sept - 2 above Capitol Lake, Olympia
24 Sept - 1 at Littlerock
25 Sept - ~70 over Tower Point at Witty's Lagoon, B.C., 1 over Port
Orchard, 2 at Orcas Island
26 Sept - 1 at Sequim, 6 at Lantzville, B.C., 9 at Forest Park, Everett, 1
at Bainbridge Island, 9 over Interlaken Park on Capitol Hill (Seattle)
27 Sept - 12 (in 3 groups) near the Muckelshoot Prairie, 2 at Littlerock
28 Sept - 20 at Hansville
29 Sept - 1 near Index
30 Sept - ~10 at West Hill in Kent

October, 1998

03 Oct - 20 thermalling above Castle Island (near Lopez Island), 8-10 over
the west side of Anderson Island, 2 at the estuary grange in Gig Harbor
04 Oct - 11 at Eagle Harbor (Bainbridge)
05 Oct - 30 at Rainier, Oregon, ~4 at the Squamist Estuary, B.C.
06 Oct - 12 at Goldsborough Creek in Shelton
08 Oct - 5 over the Aurora Bridge (who says they don't go over the city!),
15 circling over the Hamma Hamma estuary (Hood Canal)
10 Oct - 1 over the Ballard Locks, 40+ at the int. of SR 104 and 101, 2 at
Lantzville, B.C.
13 Oct - 9 over Boeing Field

I had hoped there might be more sightings of 'flocks' of vultures as they
moved down the Puget Trough, but perhaps more people were watching for
migrant passerines. I must admit to having Townsend's warblers in my
birdbath, too (since I can't see out of the trees to see possible
vultures!). Many thanks - again - for the observations.

Diann MacRae
Olympic Vulture Study
tvulture at halcyon.com