Turkey Vulture – The Rising Swarm

 Birds, Turkey Vulture  No Responses »
Apr 042012
 
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A swarm of Turkey Vultures leaving their overnight roost. The birds are circling in a thermal updraft trying to gain enough altitude to begin the day’s search for food. The roost appears to be located just to the east of DART’s Bush Turnpike Station and just south of President George Bush Turnpike in Richardson, Texas.

County - Collin
City - Richardson
Date - Apr 3, 2012
Time of Day - Morning
Temperature - Cool (50-69°F/10-21°C)
Weather - Clear
Habitat - Undeveloped-Wooded
Type of Behavior - Flying
Gender - Mixed
Maturity - Adult
Observer - Chris Jackson
Main Article - Turkey Vulture Observation Location

October 23, 2011 – Camera Trapping

 Journal  4 Responses »
Oct 232011
 
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Camera Trapping. I’ve been doing it for some time now, but I’ve only just recently become aware that it is called “Camera Trapping”, and that it is a rapidly growing hobby activity.

Camera Trapping

What is Camera Trapping? Well, simply put, Camera Trapping is the use of an automatic, motion sensing camera to capture candid photographs of wild animals in their natural environments. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camera_trap

Professional wildlife photographers and scientist have been using camera traps for decades, but the tools of the trade have only recently become available to the causal hobbyist. Game Cameras (also known as Trail Cameras, or Scouting Cameras) used by hunters to scout remote locations are the key to this hobby’s new accessibility.
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Turkey Vulture – Sky Full of Birds

 Birds, Turkey Vulture  5 Responses »
Oct 192011
 
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Around noon on Sunday, we observed hundreds of Turkey Vultures riding a thermal updraft and swirling high into the air. The birds were quite some distance away when we first noticed them—maybe as far as a mile (1.6km). As the vultures rode the thermal to its height, they began to break out of the circular pattern they were flying, and one by one the birds started streaming off to the south. The long line of migrating Turkey Vultures passed directly overhead as we watched.

 
County - Denton
City - Carrollton
Date - October 16, 2011
Time of Day - Noon
Temperature - Warm (70-89°F/21-32°C)
Weather - Clear
Habitat - Recreation-Park
Type of Behavior - Migration
Gender - Mixed
Maturity - Mixed
Observer - Chris Jackson
Main Article - Turkey Vulture Observation Location

Turkey Vulture – Checking the Mail

 Birds, Turkey Vulture  No Responses »
Sep 242011
 
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The photographer reports observing these two Turkey Vultures after stepping outside to check the mail. The birds were in the street, just one house down from the observer’s residence.

The observer only became aware of the birds after reaching his mailbox. At this point he had approached within 30ft/9m of the birds. The vultures were busy feeding on a roadkill squirrel, and were unconcerned with the observer’s proximity.

The observer went back inside to retrieve his camera, and when he returned he discovered that the vultures had relocated to the roof of the house across the street. The observer speculates that an automobile must have driven by while he was inside, forcing the vultures to move.

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Turkey Vulture – Party Crashers

 Birds, Turkey Vulture  No Responses »
Aug 212011
 
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I setup my scouting camera near the southeast end of Lake Lewisville, and this time I baited it with a whole chicken. A solitary Turkey Vulture was the first to arrive. This vulture was the only bird to find the chicken on this day.

The next day, a single Turkey Vulture quickly finds the remains of the chicken, and a short time later a second bird joins him.

But, within minutes Black Vultures begin to arrive at the site. After just a short period of time the two Turkey Vultures are completely out numbered by Black Vultures. Before long Black Vultures begin to dominate the site.

Even though the Turkey Vulture is physically larger than the Black Vulture, the more numerous Black Vultures succeed in driving the Turkey Vultures away in less than half an hour.

From my readings I understand that this was a fairly typical scenario. Turkey Vultures, with their superior sense of smell, are usually first to find a new carcass. Large numbers of the more communal Black Vulture will then be attracted to the site by the activities of the Turkey Vultures, often forcing the Turkey Vultures away.

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Turkey Vulture – Congregation

 Birds, Turkey Vulture  No Responses »
Aug 012011
 
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We observed well over a hundred Turkey Vultures gathered on power line towers just south of Lake Lewisville near state highway 121. It was early in the morning, and the birds appear to be waiting for the sun’s warmth to create the columns of rising warm air, called thermals, that they need to help them glide in search of food.

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