Subject: [Tweeters] Re: Turkey vultures (not!) (acting like snow geese)
Date: Jan 21 13:49:25 2008
From: EHO (Elliot Omiya - eho at omiya.com


OK, now I am officially embarrassed to report that at least 3 people tell me these are actually turkeys and not turkey vultures. Having never seen either of them on the ground before, I was fooled by the small Sibley. Sorry about that.

This is why I tell people I am a photographer and not a birder. :-)
----- Original Message -----
From: EHO (Elliot Omiya)
To: Tweeters
Sent: Monday, January 21, 2008 1:02 PM
Subject: 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.