Shannon Costello

One of my new favorite things to do is to visit our local flock of buzzards (turkey vultures, technically…blame the misnomer on early settlers). About 50 of them have moved into Oakland Mills, possibly after they were scared out of Long Reach. You’d probably be scared too if the neighbors started firing pistol blanks anytime they saw you.

They are knock-your-hat-down-the-creek amazing.

They are bigger than any hawks I have seen around here. I have a feather that is over a foot long.

Sometimes they get all their vulture buddies together and soar around and around way up above Oakland Mills High School. They are far less graceful when they try to land on a branch that can’t hold their weight. The weight may have something to do with all the dry cat food they eat. Someone thinks they are feeding feral cats!

Best of all, they like to sit in dead trees and just vultch. They perch high above the ground, frozen in a slouchy sort of pose. I have seen more than a dozen in the same dead tree. Once properly arranged they sit and they watch…and watch…and watch.

Magnificent!