A Kettle of Turkey Vultures in Pakenham, Ontario.
by Derek R. Audette
(Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)
Best shot I was able to get as one passed by low overhead.
July 4th, 2014 - After a long country drive, and ending up in Pakenham, Ontario, my wife and I pulled into "Five Span Bridges Park" in Pakenham, in order to get out and stretch our legs a bit. The time was around 7:30 pm.
Upon pulling into the small parking lot there, my wife said "Whoah! Look at that Eagle, or something, up there! It's huge!"
I parked and we got out of the car. I immediately recognized that it wasn't an Eagle, but a large Turkey Vulture.
Then, a second one appeared, then a third. We watched them over the next twenty minutes or so as more would come and add to their numbers, circle for a while, then disappear behind a tree-line again.
At their highest number that we were able to count, there were a total of ten circling overhead - and they were circling close!
They were moving near and far over various times, but every so often one or two would fly directly above us at a height of perhaps no more than 20 feet or so.
I believe there must have been something in, or very near to, that park that they wanted and were circling, waiting for us to leave.
We watched them for a good 20 to 30 minutes, snapped a few pictures, then headed back out on our way down the road.
It was a marvelous spectacle. There is something incredibly, hauntingly beautiful about seeing a large kettle of Turkey Vultures circling slowly and low overhead.
Thank you for writing to tell us about your sighting, I too enjoy watching Vultures!
I have also posted this on our facebook page.
