- Apr 22, 2014
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For the last week and a half or so my ducks have been a nervous wreck. About 2-1/2 weeks ago someone hit a small deer right across the street from us. This is "farm country" so we don't really worry about such things, they take care of themselves. The Crows and the Magpies start eating on the deer right away, but they don't eat much. So about a week ago, the deer started to decompose a bit. That means the Turkey Vultures come to visit. Now a Turkey Vulture would never hurt any of the ducks, they are much too fresh but the ducks don't know the difference between a Turkey Vulture and a Bald Eagle. So far the Eagles haven't been much of a problem, but they fly by 1000 feet in the air - the ducks watch them, but they're a couple seconds up. Turkey Vultures on the other hand fly over at 8-12 feet all the time and since they are the size of a male Bald Eagle (considerably smaller than a female), they are quite impressive. The ducks however are not amused. They make a mad rush to the ducky dome and hide.
Now it wouldn't be so bad on them if a Turkey Vulture flew overhead several times / day and scared them, but sometimes they will circle around (still within 25 feet of the ground) a dozen at a time. This is the duck equivalent of a house of horrors!
Well the deer is almost totally eaten and I imagine the Vultures will be on their way within a week. I kind of like them, but the ducks will be much happier when they are gone.
Some of the vultures hanging out in the big tree out back:
One vulture posing for a picture:
Now it wouldn't be so bad on them if a Turkey Vulture flew overhead several times / day and scared them, but sometimes they will circle around (still within 25 feet of the ground) a dozen at a time. This is the duck equivalent of a house of horrors!
Well the deer is almost totally eaten and I imagine the Vultures will be on their way within a week. I kind of like them, but the ducks will be much happier when they are gone.
Some of the vultures hanging out in the big tree out back:
One vulture posing for a picture:
. They are one of my favorite birds we have here. They are beautiful to watch soar (when there are no carcases near by they are a couple hundred feet up.), they don't hurt anybody / livestock / little fluffy animals. And they are useful. They probably come in second after the Sandhill Cranes (I love when they fly low overhead and land in the back pasture).
