Watched a turkey vulture fly today.

[tomf]

I sat for a time today and watched one of the local turkey vultures fly around a field. They have a six foot wing span so they are a majestic bird; they glide through the air only flapping their wings when needed. When they do flap their wings it is a low whooshing sound.

[Kisal]

You have reminded me of the day one was hit by a car in my area. I mustve drawn the short straw that morning at coffee, because I was instructed to go rescue it.

As it emptied it's entire digestive system on me, I realized the stories I had heard were true. Vulture got to sit in his crate, while I showered and changed clothes. I figured he didn't have anything more to hurl at me from any of it's body orofices, so I would have time to get him settled and I could stay reasonably clean for a short while.

[rainbowgardener]

Marge Piercy, one of my favorite poets, wrote about that in a poem once, about how the vulture uses that to protect itself "the stark will to disgust."

I looked on-line, but I couldn't find the poem, because I don't remember the title.

[Marlingardener]

We have turkey and also black vultures here. I love to watch them catch thermals above the fields and soar and swoop for the longest times.
They are ugly birds, but so useful. We'd be up to our hips in roadkill if it weren't for the vultures.

[tomf]

Gross having one toss on you, we know what they eat.

Marlin their wings and body is nice but they have a face a mother would have a hard time loving.