Apr
10
The Vultures Have Arrived
Posted by: lmairs | April 10, 2010 | Leave a Comment
These are the good kind, turkey vultures. They’re the head of the clean up crew of the winged world yet they have such a poor reputation. I like vultures, at least the ones that come to Woodhaven I like, although I have to say I haven’t met many others.
They soar on wind currents sweeping and swooping up high above the trees. They land with almost a single flush of the wing flap in the dense upper reaches of the tallest Douglas fir. They travel together, a flock of turkey vulture is called a “kettle.” Vultures can have a body length of 64-81cm (nearly 3 ft) and a wingspan up to 180 cm (6 ft!), these are huge birds. Fear not these old world raptors, they are ill equipped to harm anyone or anything. They have short curved beaks for pulling and ripping and they don’t have aggressive talons because their only need is to grip and stay not to attack. They are not predators, they are scavengers.
I saw the first vulture arrive on Wednesday with a pair, then Thursday I counted 7 and Friday was at least 11. I once counted over 50 but it was difficult to stay on track even with two others helping with the tally. They fly and land all over the park but keep a regular routing up the back by the flume trail and dry hillside, and in close to the house at the entrance to the trails by the woodshed.
The Woodhaven vultures are not of course exclusive to Woodhaven but they do spend a great deal of time here. I think they come to feed on the carrion in the fields and farms of the Lower Mission and East Kelowna. Once they’re a full kettle by the end of April, they’ll arrive from the south at sun up and leave at sunset back over in the direction of Okanagan Mountain Park, not every day of course, but with enough regularity that that it can be relied on for a few weeks.
Woodhaven is open to the public.
APRIL 17th is the official opening for the Woodhaven Project 1:30-4:30 the public is welcome. There will be music, poetry, painting and official words of welcome and the like. Art and nature, what a sensible mix.