And In They Came....

We call them Turkey Buzzards, a/k/a/ Turkey Vultures. They eat carrion, which they find largely by their excellent sense of smell. Mostly they eat mammals but are not above snacking on reptiles, other birds, amphibians, fish, and even invertebrates. They prefer freshly dead animals, but often have to wait for their meal to soften in order to pierce the skin. They have an extraordinary sense of smell. They don't have a voice box and they can't sing or call; they hiss and grunt. They are graceful and elegant in the air and make a beautiful picture when they soar and dip before landing.

This morning, while sitting on the porch in the light breeze, I saw the first one soar and circle above and land. I went indoors and got the camera. My pictures aren't the best but I had a grand time snapping away as more and more of them arrived. I think there was a dead fish on the road that might have been dropped by another predatory bird. In one picture there seems to be a fish-shape under the buzzard's foot. Well here is the story as I saw it.

First there was one

Then there were two

I soon saw three

I counted five - see one in the air

The seventh is in the upper left corner flying in

Adding up to a grand total of eight
They all sat on the grassy bank for about half an hour just looking around!

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