Subject: [Tweeters] Turkey Vultures on Parade
Date: Oct 2 14:34:05 2006
From: hrudkaj mary - hrudkajm at hotmail.com


This morning, while doing yard work, my attention was drawn to a long line
of black objects moving south along the east side of Hood Canal just west of
me. It was about quarter after nine, rather cool and early I thought for
vulture movement. I grabbed my bins and started counting as the black
objects got closer. Strung out over several miles and then congregating
into a huge kettle were a total of 68 turkey vultures. It took about 10
minutes (a nice break from hauling gravel and soil from one part of the yard
to another) for the group to amass.

After taking two more loads of gravelly soil on their rides through the yard
I noticed some more vultures moving along the same path the previous group
had taken. They formed a kettle and gained altitude. The swirling mass of
vultures was too confusing to count and making me dizzy at this point. As
they pealed off south over the great bend of Hood Canal I counted 66
vultures in this group at 0950.

As the morning progressed additional small groups moved through. By 1031 a
total of 147 turkey vultures had passed by. The spot they chose for
kettling is above a paved road and some south facing cliffs above the road.
With the light south wind this provided the needed warm updraft for the
vultures to gain the altitude needed to continue south. Now how does the
lead vulture know that it has gained enough altitude to continue on???

Mary Hrudkaj
Belfair/north Mason County