Three Black Vultures, part of Mother Nature’s clean up crew, were here yesterday just checking things out and making a lot of noise. Look closely. There are three there. They were on the roof making thumping noises and on the front steps making sounds like car doors slamming. But they decided it was a false alarm and soon took off to look for other places where cleaning was required.
There are two different species of Vultures that live in this area. One is the Black Vulture Coragyps atratus), as you see in the picture above, and the Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) that has a red head.
Not only do these cool creatures clean up the environment by eating dead carcasses, but their stomachs contain acids so strong that nasty diseases that might be contained in the dead carcasses (think anthrax, botulism, cholera, rabies) are totally destroyed.
Thank you Vultures. You may be creepy, but you are also appreciated.
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6 responses to “Clean Up Crew”
I like that they are so large when they fly over my property you see their shadow below.
Hahaha! Now Bonnie, that is a really cool way to appreciate them, and a great way to judge their size!!
Thanks bunches for reading my posts!
Bren
Sorry, but I can’t past the creepy part! There was an abundance of turkey vultures near Oxford, Ohio where our daughter went to college, and I think that’s when I couldn’t get past the creepy part. There were too many in one location!
Oh Mary, I totally understand! But they sure do a great service to our environment. Now if only humans could follow in their footsteps and do a great service to our environment as well!
Hope you and your family are all well!
Thanks for reading my posts!
Bren
I met a lady who called them peace eagles, since then, aside from enjoying their surfing patterns on the invisible topography of the surface currents, I’ve enjoyed their clean up values and the way they time a car or truck along the roadside…all in all a valued addition to our landscape, visual, ecological, or philosophical.
Aw Ken, so wonderful to hear that you appreciate these dear birds. Not many people do. I must admit they are not the most beautiful things to look at, but hey, they are of great value to our environment, and anything that helps the environment gets my vote. Now if we can just do something about humans and the harm we do to the environment.
Thanks bunches for reading my ramblings!
Bren