Hi-tech Turkey Vultures

I'm assuming that at or just off of Washington Valley Park there is a tower for wireless transmissions, but whatever it is, it's popular with the local vultures. On this particular day I got pictures of Turkey Vultures, but Black Vultures will perch up there too.

This is actually one of the most reliable places for me to just show up and see vultures, though admittedly sometimes I'll see more than other times, and sometimes I'll see them in a nearby tree instead of on the tower. There are times when I've seen over a dozen of them in the area, but for that number I have to include ones that are airborne too.

I'm assuming this is popular with the vultures because:

  • This is near the top of a hill, giving it a better view of the surrounding area, and possibly helping them spot a carcass.
  • The tower and nearby trees give a little additional elevation.
  • This is edge habitat, so while there are lots of trees in one direction, it's more of a field in the other direction. That field probably gives them a good line-of-sight if something dies out there. And edge habitat does tend to be an attraction to many animals, some of which no doubt happen to die there.
  • Since Turkey Vultures are one of the few birds with a good sense of smell, things dying in the woods are also a potential meal. (Black Vultures don't entirely miss out on these meals; they know enough to follow their cousins with a good sense of smell.)

Here are some of the handsome devils.

July 27, 2021 at Washington Valley Park
Photo 148653973, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

July 27, 2021 at Washington Valley Park
Photo 148653976, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

July 27, 2021 at Washington Valley Park
Photo 148653985, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tussock Moth Herd

Image
Some caterpillars are usually seen in large numbers (like Armyworm Moth caterpillars and Eastern Tent Caterpillars ), while most are more solitary. The Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars (more about them are here ) seem to be slightly social. I'll sometimes see them alone, but more often I'll see them in groups of 2-9 members. In the 1st picture below, you can see there is a clear size difference in some of these individuals. I'm almost certain the little one in the middle is in an earlier instar than the others (though they lack the colorful tufts of fuzz in their earliest instars). August 31, 2021 at Washington Valley Park Photo 167477945, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) In the picture below, it's clear that these caterpillars don't require a lot of personal space. August 31, 2021 at Washington Valley Park Photo 167477979, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Read more

Copper Underwing Caterpillar

Image
I believe this caterpillar to be a Copper Underwing [1]. At least the coloring and the dorsal hump (near the left end of the caterpillar) seem consistent with the Copper Underwing. These caterpillars are not what you'd consider picky eaters; my Caterpillars of Eastern North America describes their diet thusly: Many wooded plants including apple, basswood, blueberry, cherry chestnut, current, grape, greenbrier, hawthorn, hickory, lilac, maple, oak, poplar, raspberry, rhododendron, viburnum, Virginia creeper, and walnut. Wikipedia adds: Ash, privet, honeysuckle, rose, and service trees. That's a pretty wide range of trees and shrubs. One of the challenges of finding them is that they could be almost anywhere; the other challenges are: Their green coloring blends in pretty darned well with the average leaf. They have a habit of feeding underneath leaves, so they're probably not visible when looking down at their location. They have a tendency to move from leaf-to-leaf; if you
Read more

Eastern Pondhawks

Image
I'm going to try something different today with my Eastern Pondhawk pictures. I'm going to let ChatGPT do my blog today. (ChatGPT is an AI program that you can converse with in a pretty human way; an explanation of it is here .) Me:  Can you tell me something interesting about the Eastern Pondhawk? ChatGPT:  The Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) is a dragonfly species that is native to North America. It is a medium-sized dragonfly, with a wingspan of about 3 inches, and can be found in a variety of habitats, including wetlands, marshes, and ponds. One interesting characteristic of the Eastern Pondhawk is its mating behavior. Male Eastern Pondhawks are known for their territorial behavior and will defend their territory from other males. They will patrol their territory and will try to mate with any females that fly into their territory. Another interesting fact about the Eastern Pondhawk is that it is a fast flyer and is able to hover in midair. It is also an import
Read more