Take Three Thursday - Ugly, But Beauty

If an effort to notice more in my life, I have decided to share what I have noticed this week in Take Three Thursday.  The idea is to take 3 photos that are linked some how; by theme, by colour, by date, by moment,  by points of view. There is no formal link in but please feel free to join in.  What have you noticed this week?

See what these folks have noticed:

Karen at Random Reflections 
Maggie at Farmer's Wife Day BY Day 
 

 NOTE: next week, June 29th,  I will not be posting a TTT because it is the first of the three Photo Scavenger Hunt link ins. (sort of a threesome ...).

This week what I have been noticing are the number of Turkey Vultures soaring & floating over head. It seems like hundrerds.  I am not sure if Turkey Vultures are only found in North American.  They are legally protected in both Canada & the U.S. of A.

I was recently drawn to know more about these scavenger birds along with observing more because of a letter to the editor in a local newspaper.  Our region has been experiencing a rash (18 to date) of arson set abandoned building fires.  In this particular letter, the author lamented the loss of one old barn which meant the loss of home to the returning Turkey Vultures.  He then went on to explain how social these birds are, living in large groups & how they do eat carrion, but they themselves never actually kill anything.  Nature's own tidy up team.  They don't have a syrnix so the only sound they make is a grunt or hissing sound.  Also when a single bird finds something dead, it will alert the rest of the group with wing flapping & a grunt.   Its primary form of defense is regurgitating semi-digested meat, a foul-smelling substance which deters most creatures intent on raiding a vulture nest. It will also sting if the predator is close enough to get the vomit in its face or eyes & it is for this reason, I am using an internet photo for my close up!
 

Turkey Vulture - source, Internet

These birds have a large wing span & love to soar on the thermal currents of which in our region are abundant & constant because of the location up on the mountain (escarpment actually).  Mr Man likes to watch them soar, there is little to no wing flapping.  We often wonder when they circle the fields near us, are they finding maybe a rabbit or raccoon killed on the side of the road. 

... beauty is in the eye of the beholder!