Monday night we took a canoe ride after dinner on the small lake upon which our cabin sits on the shore.
The water was calm and the lake was quiet with only a few other boats floating about. We paddled to the left and circled counter clockwise around the lake, opposite to the direction we normally take. Upon reaching the three quarter mark of our trip, we saw a bird caught on some up drafts above the newly leafed out trees. We wondered if it were our eagle friends who nest yearly on the shores of our lake. But, as we got closer, a flock of similar birds took off up into the air and started circling.
“Turkey Vultures,” my husband exclaimed.
He was right, of course. After a few minutes of circling, and playing follow the leader or tag, whatever the chosen game of the night, the turkey vultures began landing in a large tree. It was their roost! There must have been 30-40 birds, all turkey vultures adorning the branches of this tree! It was a sight and later inspired my poem for Poetry Friday this week.
The Turkey Vulture
Raptor, raptor
Tell us your story
Sitting there in your tree
Spying below on the lake, my husband, and me
As we ride by in our canoe so silent
You know we are not yours to rent
For a ride or a meal, we will not provide
Anything to help you survive
For we see you are not the bald eagle we love so much
But a mere turkey vulture, hiding there in a bunch
Of others like you, all gathered in a tree,
Over the lake noticeable for us to see
As we ride by in our canoe so silent
We hope you don’t notice the fish we caught with our trident
Today is Poetry Friday! Our host is Christie at Wondering and Wandering. Thank you for hosting, Christie! We appreciate you!
The Apples in My Orchard 
Hoping you didn’t notice the fish… Funny to think of what they might do if they see! I love your short video on the lake, takes me there for a bit.
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Thank you! Towards the end I wondered what would have happened if we had been fishing and had some in a bucket! Glad you enjoyed the canoe ride!
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I love the video you shared too! “As we ride by in our canoe so silent” Indeed! The photos are fascinating too, especially the one where they are all gathered together to roost. You can learn so much science when you are out in the wilderness observing.
I like the way you talk to the turkey vultures and ask to hear their story too.
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Thank you! Now, I wish I had take a few more seconds of it. It is a slice of serenity! I agree, the science in nature is awe inspiring. I find that I learn new things all the time because after I see it (such as the roost), I have to go learn about it! Thanks for stopping by!
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Thank you for sharing your canoe trip with sights, sounds and poetry, Carol! Best to watch vultures without ‘carrion’. hee hee 🙂
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Thanks for stopping by! The canoe trip seemed like it was a big hit! I guess I should remember that if I have carrion to put a cover on it! I don’t want to find out what they’d do. 🙂
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Thank you for including the canoe footage, Carol. So peaceful! Turkey vultures are everywhere where I live in Florida, but not being a native, I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to them.
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You are welcome! Thanks for stopping by! I really do not care for the vultures, either. They’re kind of scary, if you ask me!
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