Vulture Awareness Day

[Handley_Page]

Spare a thought please for the humble Vulture.
See HERE

 

[R. Richard]

http://cleveland.about.com/od/clevelandareaparks/p/buzz

 

[Hypoxia]

http://cleveland.about.com/od/clevelandareaparks/p/buzz

So the buzzards return to Hinkley, Ohio, in metropolitan Cleveland. And like swallows to Capistrano, buzzards also annually return to Hinkley, California, in the Mohave River valley near Barstow aka Barstool. Hmmm. Hinkley, Ohio and Hinkley, California -- coincidence, or... ??

 

[glynndah]

Alas! The Makanda Vulture Fest, traditionally held the third weekend in October, has been cancelled this year.

http://villageofmakanda.com/assets/makanda_vulture_fest2.jpg

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Vultures are good citizens of the natural world but I favor bats, personally.

 

[SamScribble]

Vultures are good citizens of the natural world but I favor bats, personally.

For a couple of years, I used to get regular evening visits from a couple of bats that I knew as Boris and Belinda. And then, suddenly, they stopped coming.

 

[Hypoxia]

For a couple of years, I used to get regular evening visits from a couple of bats that I knew as Boris and Belinda. And then, suddenly, they stopped coming.

Was it something you did or said?

 

[lovecraft68]

I clicked on here expecting to see some of my wife's family members.

 

[MatthewVett]

For a couple of years, I used to get regular evening visits from a couple of bats that I knew as Boris and Belinda. And then, suddenly, they stopped coming.

Perhaps they retired to Transylvania?

As for vultures, I always find it interesting that the ancient Romans considered them especially noble birds, because they didn't kill to eat, they only ate what was already dead, and they apparently avoid eating other birds, as well.

 

[beachbum1958]

Perhaps they retired to Transylvania?

As for vultures, I always find it interesting that the ancient Romans considered them especially noble birds, because they didn't kill to eat, they only ate what was already dead, and they apparently avoid eating other birds, as well.

I've seen vultures in Kruger National Park and in the Masai Mara in Kenya tucking into vultures that have been killed when they got too close to lion or hyena kills, so the Roman's might have got it a bit wrong there; according to our game wardens at both locations, hyenas hunt and make their own kills, and they'll also eat all carrion, hooves, horns, bones, and hair, but they won't touch dead vultures; I guess some thing make even hyenas gag...

 

[Handley_Page]

Perhaps they retired to Transylvania?

As for vultures, I always find it interesting that the ancient Romans considered them especially noble birds, because they didn't kill to eat, they only ate what was already dead, and they apparently avoid eating other birds, as well.

I've seen vultures in Kruger National Park and in the Masai Mara in Kenya tucking into vultures that have been killed when they got too close to lion or hyena kills, so the Roman's might have got it a bit wrong there; according to our game wardens at both locations, hyenas hunt and make their own kills, and they'll also eat all carrion, hooves, horns, bones, and hair, but they won't touch dead vultures; I guess some thing make even hyenas gag...

There are seveal species of Vulture, or so I'm told.
The ones in India are really suffering because the cattle are being treated with Diplofenac (I think), which poisons a Vulture; they are dying in droves!

 

[R. Richard]

If you really want to see vultures, you need to go to the Andes Mountains in South America or the western USA and observe Condors.

 

[Hypoxia]

The ones in India are really suffering because the cattle are being treated with Diplofenac (I think), which poisons a Vulture; they are dying in droves!

And causing cultural havoc in Nepal with its funeral tradition of exposing a corpse for vultures to eat. No vultures means no body disposal. Ay yi yi.

If you really want to see vultures, you need to go to the Andes Mountains in South America or the western USA and observe Condors.

I haven't been to the Andes yet but our California condors are notoriously difficult to spot since they frequent the most rugged coastal mountain terrain. Rotsa ruck.