Hi, Tweets

Even though this is nesting time for turkey vultures, quite a few are being
seen, even some larger groups. Following is the June 2005 report for
Washington, British Columbia, Oregon, and Idaho:

01 -- 5 over Sekiu; 7 roosting/resting in a dead tree by Seabird Island
Sloughs, Agassiz, B.C.; 2 soaring over Norman Road, Skagit County
02 -- 1 adult at the top of a fir tree north of the Quilcene River; 2
circling over firs north of Littlerock where something dead was emitting
intense smells; 4 playing around in a farmer's field near Priest River, Idaho
03 -- 1 soaring southwest of Montesano; 1 soaring near Cosmopolis
04 -- 11 kettling at Cape Flattery
05 -- 2 circling hills east of Stillwater
06 -- 1 soaring over the beach at Grayland Beach SP
09 -- 5 south of the Oak Creek WA; 2 over Black Canyon; 5 west of Naches; 1
flying south of Olympia; 1 soaring near Forks
10 -- 3 over Mud Lake; 3 east of Cliffdell; "several" feasting on a dead
sea lion near the Siletz River, Lincoln City, Oregon
11 -- 4 along Milk Creek Road, Kittitas County; 4 near Rimrock Lake; 18
along Wenas Road; 4 east of Packwood; 2 at Randle; several kettles of 5-8
plus many singles between Kalama and Eugene, Oregon; 2 near Priest River,
Idaho, harrassing a redtail that had captured a Columbian ground squirrel;
3 perched on logs in the Fraser River waiting to see what a feeding bald
eagle might leave behind
12 -- 1 near Skykomish; 5 circling over I-5 north of Burlington; 2 east of
Ellensburg; 2 at the Roslyn exit; 5 at Pitt Meadows, Grant Narrows RP,
B.C.; 5 soaring over Surge Narrows, B.C.
13 -- 3 soaring over the Umtanum Creek RA
14 -- 1 circling high over the East River valley below Priest Lake, Idaho;
1 flying west from Littlerock
16 -- 6 circling over a buffalo ranch near Priest Lake, Idaho
17 -- 2 over Rannie Road, B.C.; 1 below Wenas Reservoir
18 -- 1 near Spokane; 2 soaring north of Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island; 15
kettling over the Muckleshoot Plateau; 1 flying over the Green River near
O'Grady Park; 3 perched in a dead tree near Graysmarsh; 1 soaring overhead
near Sequim
19 -- 1 near the Wenas Reservoir; 2 riding thermals near Sequim; ? near
north Nanaimo, B.C.
20 -- 1 near Blyn; 2 in the fields near Discovery Bay
22 -- 1 resting on a tree branch near the UW experimental forest
23 -- 1 adult on the ground between Joyce and Clallam Bay
24 -- ? somewhere east of the mountains!; 1 pecking in the dead grass and
finally found a dead mouse near Chehalis; 1 over the Cle Elum River/I-90; 2
soaring over the Yakima River canyon; 1 soaring high over Badger Mountain
SE of Waterville
25 -- 1 adult soaring near Port Angeles; one adult soaring near mp 60, Hwy
101; 1 soaring over Blewitt Pass; 10 swirling low at dusk over the Cle Elum
River/I-90; 1 soaring high over the Sanpoil River
26 -- ? at Linley Valley, Nanaimo, B.C.
27 -- 1 near the Easton exit
28 -- 1 over the beach at Gibsons, B.C.

Thanks so much for the great sightings and for the comments on what the
turkey vultures were doing - that's always a real plus. As always, a "?"
means no number was given.

It won't be long and you'll be seeing dark-grey-headed turkey vultures.
There should be family groups up and about soon. So . . . after looking
over the shrubs for a lazuli bunting, look up!!

Cheers, Diann

_____________________
Diann MacRae
Olympic Vulture Study
22622 - 53rd Avenue S.E.
Bothell, WA 98021
tvulture at vei.net
http://users.vei.net/tvulture/