Here is an observation adding to the sunning behavior Barb Deihl brought up
with the discussion of birds anting. This last Wednesday, June 16th, I again
birded in Eastern Washington. My first stop was at the Railroad Ponds in Cle
Elum. Once I parked the car at about 8:30 am, I had 3 or 4 TURKEY VULTURES
quartering over the ponds. As I "birdied" ( thank you for coining that
phrase Ruth!) down the road, more vultures started flying. Finally, about
200 yards west of the OSPREY nesting platform, the one at the first Cle Elum
exit, I counted at least seven TURKEY VULTURES sunning themselves at an open
patch of ground on the embankment right below Interstate 90. It looked like
the Cle Elum Squadron of the TV Legion, was warming up for the days roadkill
clean up missions requested by the WSDOT! I did not count all birds in the
air, but the total was more than 15. Vultures and birds of prey like to wait
until the rising temperatures create thermals to soar on. This group was
obviously enjoying the sunshine,. since there was no carrion to be seen and
they were not feeding. Barb asked what the benefit of sunning may be and I
believe it may cause some parasites to "jump ship".

I finally did find two GRAY CATBIRDS in the same vicinity. Much later in the
day, on the way home on the North Cascades Highway, somewhere between
Concrete and Sedro Wooley, I noticed four large, turkey-looking birds on a
front lawn - TURKEY VULTURES! Maybe somebody feeds them? This is is in Gary
Bletch's "backyard"- have you seen them Gary?

Good Birding!

Hans Feddern
Twin Lakes/Federal Way, WA.
thefedderns at gmail.com
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