I noticed a Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) that was peaceably roosted with 2 Turkey Vultures, generally I see the smaller Black Vultures just get shoved around...
Earlier this summer, I met a very curious pair of Black vultures in a Central Texas state park These carrion eating birds are peaceable creatures with excellent eyesight and a sociable disposition. (A friend of mine who runs a bird sanctuary with several rescue vultures told me that wild birds occasionally turn up to hang out on the roof of their aviary.)
Usually, Black vultures are wary of people. These two...were not.
Eventually they decided I wasn't that interesting--I was annoyingly alive, for one thing -- and went on to do a bit of sun-worshipping instead.
Delightful creatures, vultures. They get a bad rap.
I feel like I should share my vultures with tumblr. I walked out to my building's parking lot this morning, and there were 12 of them, just chilling on the fence that surrounds the lot, and on the dumpster. Having a party. They're such pretty creatures. So goth. They're Black Vultures, unlike the pink-headed Turkey Vultures we had all over my home town, about 45 minutes northeast, which are also epic, but less goth.
Please excuse the grossness of my building and fence. Our landlord is awful. I think there were 15 vultures actually if you count the ones on the roof.
Am I exploiting this blog to show off my non-dog photography? Absolutely. I’m sorry, this is where my followers are, lol.
Anyway I saw the most goth ass thing I’ve ever seen: an abandoned two-story house in my state absolutely covered in black vultures (pictured is only a small portion of the ones that were present).
Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus). There was a deer carcass nearby, drawing about 40 vultures to the same spot. It smelled awful, but they seemed to... get a kick out of it. The circle of life.
photo by me. 2023-06-13 Nashville, TN (Shelby Bottoms)
December 2023 & January 2024: New Year's Eve & Day
New Year's Eve breakfast:
Seen while walking on New Year's Eve:
Blue sky & black vultures:
Curbside compost material collection:
New Year's Day dinner. That one gap-toothed piece of corn is one we grew. What it lacks in aesthetics it more than made up in flavor especially compared to that overly sweet cob from the store:
I don’t give in, I don’t give up
I won’t ever let it break me
I’m on fire, I’m a fighter
I’ll forever be the last one standing
Black vultures circling the sky
Pick at the pieces
Scavengers wait for me to die
But I’m not defeated