Subject: [Tweeters] Turkey vultures (acting like snow geese)
Date: Jan 21 13:15:53 2008
From: Kelly McAllister - mcallisters4 at comcast.net


Interesting picture. I was surprised to hear about Turkey Vultures on the Skagit at this time of year. Take out the word "vulture" and it makes a lot more sense (though I'm rather wondering who released wild turkeys up there and when. I thought Region 4 of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife wasn't going to be part of the turkey release thing. Maybe they warmed up to the idea 'cause they're so cute).

Kelly McAllister
Olympia, Washington
----- Original Message -----
From: EHO (Elliot Omiya)
To: Tweeters
Sent: Monday, January 21, 2008 1:02 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] Turkey vultures (acting like snow geese)


I uploaded a picture of a group of turkey vultures eating on the ground in Skagit Flats last Saturday morning. Not only have I never seen turkey vultures this time of year, I had never seen them on the ground before, eating out of the field. They seemed quite unconcerned with me sitting in my car taking pictures, just 25 feet away.

Later I got to see an adult bald eagle flush a couple thousand snow geese from the game reserve on Fir Island Road. The eagle flew away empty handed (er, clawed). There were a lot of decoys set up in various fields around Fir Island Road with hunters, shotguns, and dogs aready. The snow geese are pretty cagey though, they were all in the game reserve. :-)

A good day in the flats despite the persistent rain (and some snow). I went up to N. Forks Road early and the eagles are basically gone from the Nooksack river. Last week we counted 80. This week there were barely 10. Saw just as many down in the flats as up at the river.




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