(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
 . . . . . . . . . .



Mother Nature's Urban Springtime Street Food [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2024-06-19  

Yesterday mid-afternoon on my way home from a doctor visit, I caught a glimpse of a bird bouncing around on the sidewalk of the primary four lane through-street in my neighborhood. (McCree, for any Dallasites out there).

It was a very BIG urban wildlife bird, working approximately 18” from the curb, unfazed by occasional cars flying past at 30 mph. Said bird was engrossed in pecking at/eating one dead squirrel, most probably flattened by a car doing 30 mph. I made a U-turn, parked on the other side of the street and started photographing. The sky was overcast so the photos have very poor contrast.

This angle has clear view of squirrel carcass; a suggestion of the developing pink head on vulture.

I’m guessing this is probably a young turkey vulture; juvenile males and females look the same; the beak is bright white but has not quite developed the bright pink head. Black turkey vultures are the same size; however they have entirely black beaks and different wing feathers.

Turkey Vultures are often the first vultures on site (and sight) of roadkill.

I’ve seen flocks of these birds flying overhead from time to time. This is the first time I’ve seen one at work — up close, on the ground, and very near to home. The usual clean-up crew is a mid-air Cooper’s hawk.

The recent spate of violent thunderstorms has cracked and felled many of the mature trees in the neighborhood where the fox and brown squirrels usually make their home. The storm-displaced squirrels and resident birds are slowly making their way back home.

I love Mother Nature. The turkey vulture has a look only a mother could love...!

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/6/19/2247464/-Mother-Nature-s-Urban-Springtime-Street-Food?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web

Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/