[birdky] Black Vultures

Just before sunset yesterday, Jan 30, 2003 I was walking along the air-
port road at Rough River State Park at Falls of Rough, KY. I counted
275 Blacks and 20 Turkey vultures.
They came in flocks, the largest flock numbering 75 and the smallest and 
last had 8 birds. Since there was a slight time interval between
each flight I was able to get a good count. The black vultures were
all flying in fairly tight flocks. Turkey Vultures were slower and
more lumbering at this low altitude, a couple here , 3 and 4 following
the next flock. Kathryn Clay tells me the Turkey V's come to roost  earlier 
than do the Blacks, hence the few stragglers. They appeared
to be coming out of the bottomlands bordering Rough River downstream
of the dam. Whether this was a staging area before coming in to roost
I don't know as I was unable to see the actual area below the dam.
On Sunday I observed a small flock of Blacks which had just come off the 
roost early. The TV's are the last to leave the roost in the AM.
We had previously estimated the ratio of TV's to BV's to be 4/1. But
this is a much higher count on Blacks than we had previously counted.
However, I was not there earlier this day when the Turkey Vultures came to 
roost.
Finally as the sun disappeared below the horizon a lone Great Blue
Heron came non-chalantly winging his way high above the airport heading
also to his roosting area..
Joyce L Porter



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