No one was more surprised than myself when I looked out the window into our back yard on Saturday, just after noon. I saw several large crows gathered around a large brownish “blob” in the yard. Looking closer I could see the brown blob was a very large bird—oh my—a turkey vulture! I ran for the camera and tried to quietly sneak out onto the deck.

There were two of them. One had its wings spread wide, just sitting on the ground; the other was busy eating something. I tried my best to be quiet, but they heard me and took flight. One flew into the woods, the other perched in our big oak at the edge of the yard and allowed me take some photos. After the vulture left, I went down to see what was so interesting. It had been pecking away at the marrow in one of the old dog bones!

I know most people think they are ugly with their featherless, naked heads, but they have a beauty all their own. You’ve got to admit they are awesome. Just look at that wing span!

I found this poem to go along with my images. I hope you enjoy it!

Turkey Vulture
by CB Follett

Black leather wings
spread to dry in the early sun,
they perch on fences like great bat-birds.

The naked rubber head: red, wrinkled.
Eyes piercing as Picasso’s,
tearing beak, their ripping claws.

But when they fly,
when they launch themselves
like a single feather

into thermals curved as the hills below
when they glide,
controlling the wind

they are air creatures
beautiful black sweeps across the sky
efficient, spectral, superb.

Caught in the act of raiding the bird food barrel once again is my little mouse friend.

I hope I don’t offend anyone with this photo, but nature is just amazing to me; albeit seemingly cruel at times. This broad-winged hawk that lives in our woods and cruises my neighbor’s chicken yard, happened on the poor, wet, cold birds at my feeding station yesterday. One did not make it. I don’t what kind of bird it was, except that my best guess is a dove. It was quite large and the feathers fit.

I had glanced out at the bird station to see what was out there [because it could be the bears, deer, you name it] and saw something large on the ground fairly close out of the corner of my eye. When I saw him ripping the flesh of one of “my” birds of course I was upset. But on this snowy, sleety day it was also like watching a segment from Animal Kingdom. It’s what hawks do. There is a reason they are classified as raptors in the bird world. No wonder there weren’t any birds just then! But, pretty soon the other birds decided that the hawk was not a threat anymore [after all his appetite was being sated] and returned to the ground to feed.

Nature—truly amazing.

A female Cardinal huddles in the branches of my favorite tree on this cold and snowy morning.