 El Vulture Pasa I have always been intrigued by Turkey Vultures. Until recently my vulture encounters were few in number, but each was etched on my memory. My very first Cariboo Turkey Vulture sighting was thirty years ago at the Hawkins Lake dump. As I approached the dumpsite the bird quickly flew away but not before I managed to glimpse its bare red head. The next time I watched a Cariboo vulture was ten years later at the 105 Mile pastures. It was a spring morning and I had just stopped to scan the 105 fields for early arriving shorebirds or songbirds. A large dark bird quickly caught my attention as it circled upwards, scribing shapes, and playing in the rising air currents. Its broad wings were tipped with splayed finger-like pinion feathers, so I knew it was not an Eagle. The angle of the wings to body (dihedral) was a deep ‘V’ and a diagnostic characteristic for my second Turkey Vulture sighting. Seven years ago I saw another Turkey Vulture. This time it was a cluster of sightings during a drive to the coast. Granted, this was not a Cariboo birding experience, but as in previous encounters, I was intrigued. The first vulture sighting occurred at Boston Bar when I spotted a lone bird tilting above the railroad track. The next sighting occurred just before Hope, and another near Sea Bird Island. Winning the award for most vultures at a time was a field in Langley where I managed to see four at once - the most I’d ever seen. Within the last four, or five years I’ve seen Turkey Vultures in the Cariboo once-a-year, and sometimes more often. This suggests they are becoming more commonplace, or I am always lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. Two years ago I saw four vultures in the Cariboo on a spring flight in late March. Late August and September appear to have become grade “A” Turkey Vulture time, especially on a large granite outcropping topped with mature fir trees, between Forest Grove and Buffalo Creek. Perhaps the birds are drawn by the wide open surrounding fields, or the presence of dead snags with stubby limbs ideal for bird with big wings to safely land, or by the updrafts around the granite outcropping. Last year six vultures swooped around and perched on the dead snags, making this total the largest I’ve ever seen anywhere. Last week added another dimension to my Turkey Vulture experience and surpassed any totals to date. It occurred as I and a friend, hiked to the top of the outcropping as part of a daily ramble with the dogs. As we approached the summit a number of large dark shadows passed overhead. I had a flashback to a scene from the movie “Apocalypse Now” in which large fruit bats cast shadows down through a deathly still forest canopy. But these “bats” were Turkey Vultures flying very low over head. We stood and watched the large dark birds swoop and soar through the treetops. Never before had I been this close to Turkey Vultures, I could hear wings hissing as they plied the air, or put on a burst of flapping. We reached the front of the outcropping and the Vultures continued circling. Some were directly in front just above the cliff, and some were below. Through binoculars I studied the head of each bird as it flew by. I was looking for red colouration, indicative of a mature bird, and dull brown colouration, which indicated a juvenile. I saw no juveniles. In past years I’ve picked out the younger birds at much greater distances. I guess this was an adults-only flock. It was hard to get a total on the number of circling Turkey Vultures but there were at least eight, my new record. The birds did not show much fear so we sat and watched while they tilted and weaved through the air. Gradually the flock drifted off and we continued our walk. As we got directly below a tall dead fir tree where Eagles often perch I looked up and was surprised to see a lone Turkey Vulture studying us. It appeared nervous and I took the brief encounter as a chance to study the perched bird through binoculars. I easily saw its unique nostrils, an arch of beak material. Unlike most birds which have a rudimentary sense of smell, Turkey Vultures hunt for dead creatures using a keen sense of smell. A decaying corpse, the Vultures’ main food source, gives off gas which rises on wind currents. The Turkey Vultures detect this scent as they circle above, and find the body even if it is obscured by a canopy of trees. There is a story that gas pipeline workers attempting to detect pipeline leaks watch the sky for circling Vultures because the birds mistake the scent for food and gather over the site of the issuing gas. As the Turkey Vulture sat nervously overhead I noted the hint of amber wing colour. And I noted sturdy feet emerging from the bird’s body like two lamp stands, rather than the angled and sprung look displayed by many bird’s legs. The Vulture eventually grew weary of being studied, and so unfolded its great wings and took flight. Thus another Turkey Vulture encounter ended leaving me to revel in the largest number of Turkey Vultures I’ve yet seen. Another first was having an opportunity to see a perched bird from about thirty feet away. Another oddly thrilling event was the chance to hear the sound of Vulture wings. It will take many more encounters before I become blasé about this intriguing bird. To e-mail Tom CLICK HERE To look at previous column CLICK HERE |
