Once In A Lifetime

When I woke from my afternoon nap, I told the Pres I was heading outside to trim some of the spent ferns and perennials.  Meeting me outside with his weed eater, he dove into them while I used my larger clippers on plants along the wall.  After filling the wheelbarrow several times, it was time to take a little break.

Sitting in the rocking chairs on the patio facing West, I looked up and said, "Naturally, the cameras are both in the house upstairs and the immature is flying over."  I headed in to get the camera anyway knowing that he would be gone when I returned because that always happens.

Sitting down next to the Pres, there he was still soaring effortlessly high above our yard.  I got a shot or two...fuzzy but they will do.

 And then we couldn't believe our eyes as another immature soared in from the Northwest, and another, and another and another and another until THERE WERE TWENTY TWO (maybe TWENTY FOUR, said the Pres) birds circling our yard...our space...OUR WORLD!  Yes, there were a few eagles in the group but the majority were turkey vultures, flying and soaring together!

We watched in awe and I even lay on the ground so my head would stop spinning from trying to track them with the camera!  "Honey, count them.  Honey, am I seeing things?"

I kept hearing him say, "I'm trying to count them all....I can't believe what we're seeing!"

They circled and soared and circled and soared over our yard about twenty times.  Then just as slowly as they appeared, they began heading East, disappearing over the colorful Fall tree line.

Today beside writing this post, I reached out to Kate at DEEP, Division of Wildlife for help in understanding what we saw.   Birding is great, isn't' it?

 I know we will never see it again in our lifetime.

Sharing with you and those at

Natures Notes

Our World Tuesday

Wild Bird Wednesday

Outdoor Wednesday


Did you know that TVs (turkey vultures) when soaring form a slight "V" with their wings?
Did you know that the tips of their wings resemble "fingers"?
Did you know that the head of a TV is smaller than that of an eagle?
Did you know that their flight feathers almost appear silvery when they are soaring?
Did you know that their flight is typified by wobbly circles?
Did you know that TVs are an invaluable resource and maintain an important role in the ecological system?