The creepiness of turkey vultures….

The creepiness of turkey vultures….

There is a dead deer across the street from my house. The deer is down in a gulley in the woods and he’s been there for a day or two. I knew it was only a matter of time before the carrion seeking birds and animals found this poor fawn. This morning was their morning of discovery.

I left the house for a run relatively early, and when I did the morning was eerily silent. When I got to the bottom of my driveway, I turned left, thinking how absolutely still the morning seemed. After only a few steps, I looked across the street to behold a sight straight out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. There were ten black turkey vultures, each at least two to three feet “tall” sitting low to the ground on tree branches. They were not making a sound, but I can tell you that all ten heads were silently watching my progress. I had a serious case of the heebie jeebies and ran right out of the area and up the hill, promising myself I would get the camera out when I returned

An hour later when I returned, they had flown away. I saw only one high up on a dead tree.  Apparently he was waiting for his friends to return, which they did quite soon afterwards.

Eventually, three vultures were sitting in one tree, four in another, and there were at least a handful flying high in the sky waiting to land.

One sailed right above the trees over my head, with a huge whoosh. With wingspans that must be at least five or six feet from wing tip to wing tip, they are truly mammoth birds. You can hear their wings slowly flap as they glide from one area of the sky to another. And while this is probably just my imagination, I feel as though they are staring right at me, wondering if I might also be a tasty treat.

In a few days, these birds will move on to another feast in another area. For now, I am watchful for any sign that there might be an imminent scene from The Birds. I for one would have no desire to have a personal experience with these silent but horrifying creatures.

Move on, turkey vultures. Move on.