Turkey Vultures in Saskatchewan, their northernmost breeding ground anywhere,
winter in Venezuela. This knowledge is the result of a banding/marking program
similar to the Redtails at PDX. I've noted large numbers of TVs in Sonoma
County in early January. There has long been a wintering flock just south of
Fern Ridge Reservoir. Many teams in the western portion of the Eugene CBC
report them. But it's interesting that they seem to seldom if ever frequent the
rest of the circle in the colder part of the year. Now there's a wintering
population in the Coquille Valley which gives the impression that it's growing
in numbers. I imagine these groups each have a fairly well defined summer
range, distinct from other TV cohorts.Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy
smartphone
-------- Original message --------From: Robert O'Brien <baro@xxxxxxx> Date:
9/1/21 9:41 PM (GMT-08:00) To: Kevin Smith <kevinsmithnaturephotos@xxxxxxxxx>
Cc: OBOL <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: [obol] Re: TV's on the move Actually, as
to their destination, a few years ago I read of a banding study that found
(southern?) Oregon TVs wintered mostly in central Baja and the adjacent
mainland across the gulf. I might be able to find the article if anyone was
interested.. Bob OBrien Carver OROn Wed, Sep 1, 2021 at 6:42 PM Kevin Smith
<kevinsmithnaturephotos@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Going on 7PM today and
the Turkey Vultures are on the move south! Twelve of them are
headed for a night roost here at Crooked River Ranch. It will
be interesting to see just how many will congregate to make the
trip. We have had as many as 27 trying to find space on the
cell tower behind our house to all fit in one place. But wait!
There's more. Well there WERE more, Thirty-Two in the poplar
trees at Ogden Wayside. That's when we found that the carrying
capacity of poplar limbs was only THREE birds at once. We went
and watched them circle in and land. CRACK! One limb breaks
and falls to the ground. crack, again. Another limb sends three
Turkey Vultures away to circle once, twice more before finding a
roost for the night. Their long trip south to Texas, Mexico,
central America and yet farther . Across Panama canal to
Columbia and who know where. Hope they make it back next spring
to circle, circle, circle to finally pick up the 'leavings' of
our un-thinking automobile drivers in a hurry to get somewhere.
Sixty miles per hour in a thirty-five mile per hour zone is
nothing for them. Don't worry. Nobody will turn them in. Run
down that young spotted fawn. The vultures will come and clean
it all up.
Hope we DO see them
return next spring.
Kevin Smith
--
Nature is my Religion. Wildlife has never said "Don't take a photo of me while
I'm laughing"
--
Nature is my Religion. Wildlife has never said "Don't take a photo of me while
I'm laughing"
