Greensboro Birds

So busy at Chez Lonesome, what with Josh having the week off and all, but I did get a few shots of a mixed group of turkey and black vultures over the house. We also managed to wrestle many wheelbarrows full of compost onto the front yard (Josh barrowing, me raking), and seeded it with fescue, clover, and thyme. Miraculously, a steady sprinkle began right after I finished seeding today and has continued into the evening! I’m worried about the possible frost in a few days, but we have more seed at the ready just in case.

Here are seven of the dozen or so vultures that were enjoying riding the updrafts over our surprisingly hilly town. Although I couldn’t get a shot of them, a pair of vultures—one turkey and one black vulture—stuck together for a while and flew in circles over our yard. Josh thought maybe they were attracted by the poo smell wafting up from our property. Man, I hope so—I’d kill to include vultures on my Project Feederwatch count!

People get stoked about raptors, but not so much about vultures. Is it because hawks and eagles look fierce and kill stuff, but vultures are bald and only eat rotten, way-past-dead stuff? Maybe so, but I think they’re pretty spectacular to watch soaring overhead.

What? Had enough vulture porn? Fine—here’s a downy woodpecker.