The Turkey Vulture....I've heard the term before...I've seen them soaring above road kill...but I've never really seen one up close before and thought about what they are. 

 

Last week a chipmunk was killed in front of our house...I never saw it.  My husband mentioned it to me and that the body was gone...we're fairly certain that it was not Berkley (the chipmunk that lives under our garage) So Friday a squirrel was killed out front.  First what bothers me about this, is that we live 30 yards from the stop sign....are you really going that fast that you couldn't avoid the furry thing in the road?....but that's not the point of this random though.

 

I looked out my office window and there was what I thought was a Turkey in the road.  My husband quickly corrected me and said it was a Turkey Vulture.  So I looked a little more carefully and noticed it's ugly head...as it walked across our street towards my home, then took flight....it was so large that I didn't think it would get high enough to clear the house.  Of course all I could think of was the evil Skeksis from The Dark Crystal (a horrific cross between bird and reptile.) ...Or were they the 'Mystics'?  Hmmm, I honestly don't remember.  Regardless, I instantly started repeating their Hooo-huuummmm moaning that they do as they march.

 

Then it dawned on me....it was strutting down our road scouting out the squirrel carcass... ew....  Upon his investigation however, Alfa Nurse turned the corner in her little blue car and headed down our street...she never slowed as she barreled down on the vulture....could be she didn't see it....could be she didn't care...but her car is not that big, and personally I would have worried about the damage that could have afflicted. 

So, said turkey vulture flew up over my home, circled around and landed on the corner of Fran's garage across the street.  Imagine if she had come out side at that moment....lol.  Finally after about ten minutes it came back down....but that's when we noticed the body was already gone.  The Vulture strutted up and down the scene of the crime as I sent Brett out with the camera to snap off a few photos.  He got a a few from a distance before it was scared again up into the pine trees....sorry, all I could get to upload was a black and white photo....I think he looses some of his brillant ugliness without good color.....