Turkey Vultures roosting

Came across some Turkey Vultures roosting at Ha Ha Tonka State Park in Missouri.

They fly around together in the morning, before they go to their areas. They also circle around before they roost at night.

They eat mostly dead meat. By eating dead meat, they help clean the environment, clening up diseased animals.

Immature Turkey Vulture

Immature because the head is mostly black. The mature Turkey Vulture has a red head. Two tone wings and wings making a V and not flat are ID signs of a Turkey Vulture.

I have noticed these vultures like to gather in the morning and evening and fly around in circles for a while before departing to sleep or head out for the day. This communal activity is interesting.

Vultures are usually looked down on because they eat dead meat. This is God's way of nature. I have heard that a vulture will come up to an animal they think is dead. But when the animal moves it is revolting to them.

They have a good sense of smell, but not good enough to detect rotting flesh from the high altitudes they maintain while looking for food.

Habakkuk 1:8 "Their horses are swifter than leopards And keener than wolves in the evening. Their horsemen come galloping, Their horsemen come from afar; They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour."

Thank you Father, for the sanitary service these birds provide.

Turkey Vulture

Turkey vulture is a Cathertine  vulture. They have bare heads and necks. They are natures sanitary service. Cleaning up dead animals called carrion.

These birds glide back and forth across searching for carrion to eat. They stay separate from each other as they look for carrion. Having found some carrion, other vultures will flock to the site. I have seen them fly in circles as a group at the beginning and end of a day.


They have a very keen sense of smell and sight to locate their food. They also are cautious and won't be tricked by bait. They are able to find covered bodies on the forest floor.

Black vulture is similar to the Turkey vulture but the Black vulture has flat wings in flight while the Turkey vulture wings are in a V shape. Also the Turkey vulture's wings are 2 toned while the Black vulture's wigs are black with light wing tips.

As we were hiking up to a bluff a Turkey vulture swooped by us at a surprising close proximity. Then seeing us it moved up much higher. It is at this point I captured this photo.

The Turkey vulture migrates in from the south and spends the warmth in mid Missouri. Crows migrate down from the north and spend the winter here. Crows are scavengers as well. I have not noticed if both birds are here at the same time.

Matthew 24:28
"Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather."

Tuesday October 3rd Watkins Mill MO State Park

I go to the lake shore near sunset. 3 ducks flew over. A Great blue heron landed in a dead tree to the west. A turkey vulture landed behind me and is rustling his feathers.

Clouds are orange. Air plane exhaust streaks can be seen going in 4 different directions. A train whistle can be heard in the distance.

The lake is still in the cove where I'm sitting. Out in the main body of water I can tell there is a little breeze. The tops of the trees are moving a little but now they are still.(Yes there was close to a full moon.)

A fish splashes about 30' to my right. The bat I saw last week is out catching bugs as it flies 20' in the air just off the lake shore.

Now the orange is off the sky and its blue gray. Clouds are in the western ½ of the sky.

A couple of fish splash in the water 3 or 4 birds chip, chip can be heard. A cow moos twice.

10 geese honk as they come in and splash land 100 yards in front of me.

The Great blue heron continues to watch from his perch on the dead tree. The turkey vulture continues to ruffle his feathers behind me.

A lot of fish are hitting the water now. It is getting hard to see to write.

The bat is still working the sky at about 20'.

The heron stretches his neck out and makes 4 deep guttural calls.

The night bugs are sounding in force. I can't see the lines on my paper. So I head back to my camp.

Wednesday morning 4 October Watkins Mill MO state park

7 small ducks on water. I can't see any ID marks. The gull I have been seeing has black wing tips. So it puts it to the ring billed gull or the herring gull.

I saw another Turkey vulture convention. They gather in the early morning and fly around in a mob for a short time then disperse to their areas.

I think of Colossians 1 in the Bible. It talks about all power if that wasn't enough it is according to God's glorious might. Which is unlimited. God has promised us so much. We need to acquire it by the prayer of faith. Just as there is so much to learn of nature and enjoy. God has so much for us. Go to Him, He wishes to lavish on us abundant life.

Honey locust leaves are 80% down. Last week it was just a few vines and sumac that had changed colors. Now there is a lot of color. What a difference a week makes. The Paw paws are bright yellow. They are a great tree for color. Honey locust leaves are raining down as I write.

Photo of Osage orange striking yellow green combination with an orange tree in the background. The background tree is a Pignut hickory. End buds less than 1/2” tight bark 5-7 leaflets. It is the best fall color tree I have seen today.

Bird log Watkins Mill State park 20-Sep-06

Orange grebe neck bigger than mallard in flight
Long beek
didn’t notice legs or tail
looked back and forth as it swam, neck straight up

The closest I can ID it is the female Anhinga
The gular pouch was not distinct from the throat so that rules out the double crested
cormorant


I saw about 30 turkey vultures circling on the west side of the lake. After about 10
minutes they dispersed.


Seagull sized bird long orange sized beak.
light gray above bright white below.
black tail band
hovered a few times in flight

It flew back and forth across the lake. Drooped to the lake for a moment then flew off
again. Much more active flying than a gull.
Herring gull is the closest I can ID it.

dirty White rump
small duck size
lighter underside of neck ; back head and eye darker.
diving short bill smaller than a duck I saw 14 swimming together.
It could be an immature purple Gallinule p 126 in new Peterson’s bird guide.

As I was watching birds I heard the whoosh whoosh whoosh of the wings of a turkey
vulture.

I saw a Belted Kingfisher fly by.
I was not able to ID the swallows darting across the lake.
I saw a number of Blue jays

Saw a Great blue heron 2 toned wings gray back flying with neck folded deep throaded
croak. I saw a juvenile Great Blue heron fishing on the lake edge.