Hi, Tweets

This was International Vulture Awareness Day and
I thought I should get my report out at an
auspicious time. I was at the zoo for the
afternoon and Modoc, our resident turkey vulture,
was the star of the day and did his routine in
precise fashion. Even the weather was nice
considering it was pouring down rain early on.

Turkey vultures are definitely on the move and
September is the month to look up occasionally ?
every year a few large flocks of over 100 pass
over Seattle and the surrounding areas. Our
biggest day spanning 15 years at Salt Creek was
always around the 28th of September.

Following is the report for the Pacific Northwest for August 2009.

01 ? 3 at Ridgefield?s Carty Unit; 10 between
Hillsboro-Lincoln City, Oregon; 2 over the Skokomish River
02 ? 10 soaring above I-90?s 436 St. exit; 2 near
Lake Keechelus Dam; 1 at Englishman River,
Parksville, B.C.; 2 near Hillsboro, Oregon
03 ? 1 north of Sequim
04 ? 2 at Acosta Ponds; 2 at Midway Beach; ?a handful? near Alder Lake
05 ? a kettle of 40 at SE 436/Hwy 164; 5-10 more
northeast of this one; 1 at Nisqually NWR; 4 east of Montesano
06 ? 1 over Ocean Shores game range; 2 west of Buckley
07 ? 1 at Grass Creek; 2 floated over Jasper Mountain
08 ? 1 north of Sequim
10 ? 24 above the Dungeness River delta
11 ? 17 over the Dungeness River/ Woodcock Road
12 ? 1 at the Old Olympic Highway
13 ? 2 at the McLane Creek Nature Trail
15 ? 2 in Packwood; 1 between Mason Lake and
Allyn; 4 between Ocean Shores-Hoquiam; 2 over
Aberdeen; 2 over Monte-Brady Loop; 3 over the
Elma Fairgrounds; 24 feeding on salmon carcasses along the Fraser River, B.C.
16 ? 4 circling high over Tokeland
17 ? 1 at Towne/Old Olympic Hwy; 1 east of Cle Elum
18 ? 2 at Wynoochee River bridge; 4 over downtown Hoquiam; 2 north of Hoquiam
20 ? 2 at Montesano; 2 east of Elma; 1 between Hoquiam/Ocean Shores
22 ? 1 at Ridgefield NWR; 3 north of Sequim
23 ? 5 singles between Morton and Woodland; 2
heading south over Fort Worden SP; 1 over Nanaimo; 3 over the Old Olympic Hwy
24 ? 2 over I-90/mile 80; 1 flying south over the
Skagit WA; 1 over March Point; 1 at Old
Olympic/Towne; 1 at Hwy 101/Carlsborg Road
27 ? 1 over downtown Seattle
28 ? 20 near Elma; 1-2 in Aberdeen during the week
31 ? 3 near Raymond; 1 at the Raymond Airport

Many thanks to those who send reports ? they are always most welcome.

Cheers, Diann

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