Turkey Vultures or buzzards

When I was a child in the high desert of Central Oregon we saw lots of Turkey Vultures. They are ugly birds but as all things in nature they have a job to help nature work like it should. A vulture was considered by some to be our national bird but the eagle won out.  Both clean up dead animals.

When we lived in Ketchikan, Alaska we would drive out to the dump and there were Bald Eagles everywhere like sparrows are in the lower 48.  I would find it hard that they were on the endangered species list. I always said if you think they are endangered come to Ketchikan as they were everywhere you went but the dump was their favorite.

In the 1950's and early 1960's they put poison out to kill the mice and rabbits that were eating all the farm crops. Later they found out that they killed all the birds of prey and the meat eaters like the coyote. No longer did you see the buzzards flying around, nor did you see the eagle. The Golden Eagle was the one that was most common in the high desert.  The hawks, the owls, the coyotes, the bobcats, the cougars etc. all disappeared.

I saw a bunch of buzzards on the reservation one afternoon, sitting on some wooden fence posts with their wings spread cooling off. I was so impressed, they were really cool looking.  Other then that one sighting I had not seen any around since I was young.

Driving to the school one morning right there alongside the road was a bunch of buzzards in the tree. It was just at dawn and they were sleeping in the tree at an old homestead place. Only thing left there is some trees and a few corrals even though it is right in town by the school.

These are not the best photos but I still thought they were cool. I just love that the eagles, the hawks and the buzzards are coming back. I have seen a few owls but it is the Osprey Eagle and the Red Tailed Hawk that has really recovered.