Is there a dead critter nearby? Do they live in groups?

Vultures don't flock as a rule, but they do roost together. I used to see a tree with about 25 Turkey vultures roosting in it if I happened by early mornings.

If there was food Mika , I am pretty sure they would of been eating it. No, I think they were resting and trying to dry their wings.

the Black Vulture makes up for its poor sense of smell by following Turkey Vultures to carcasses.
Highly social birds with fierce family loyalty, Black Vultures share food with relatives, feeding young for months after they’ve fledged.

taken from
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/...

That's interesting, thank you for the link. We don't have vultures here, although there have been sightings in France. I have seen various different sorts of vulture in Africa.

Cool shots Kurt!

Are you sure your neighbor is still alive, Kurt? (just kidding) If an animal is dying but still moving vultures will sit above it in a tree, waiting for it to die.

Those vultures would creep me out. Are you sure Stephen King isn't lurking nearby?

I found it too eerie by far when our neighbor's donkey foaled there was a large group of vultures circling low over their pasture for hours & hours after she gave birth. Creeped me out!

Between the vultures and the crows, they take care of lots of road kill, ...until they become road kill.

We have lots of Turkey Vultures here. I think they are very cool. I wanted to try to entice them into the yard once but my husband said no!

I was driving home yesterday and had a wild Turkey Tom run across the road right in front of me. Luckily I was able to brake and not hit him. There was a group of hens in the field that he was heading for!

We had the female Rose-breasted Grosbeak visiting for a couple of days. I was able to get a few shots of her. Here are a couple.




Pileateds have been here.
Top Knot all up!


Gray Catbird & Pileated.


A series of closeups I was able to get yesteday while out in the back yard.

Tufted Titmouse




Cardinal


Chipping Sparrow


Downy Woodpecker

I was out watering the plants tonight and the Cardinal was hanging out across the street at the neighbor's house.

Wow, Elaine and Kurt, what kind of lens do you use to get those close ups? Those are great!

I finally got a picture of the orangey red bird that keeps teasing me. A finch of some sort? I tried id'ing but nothing seems to quite match.

I was zoomed all the way but only have an 18-55 lens or whatever came standard with my 12 yr old slr. I don't know much about photography, so appreciate any recommendations on getting better close ups.

Claudia and Melanie, your pictures are superb too!

That looks like a House Finch, or Purple Finch to me. I can't tell them apart. I just know we have lots of them here.

male red house finch Laurel , and I am using a minolta maxxum 5D dslr and a sigma 50-500 mm lens on my bird photos.

Yay, I knew that one was a House Finch thanks to all the photos you guys have been posting! See, I'm paying attention!

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We have one of those window suction cup feeders filled with safflower seed. I can stand on the other side of the room and use my zoom lens to get these shots. It's the lazy way of birding. Here is a chickadee:



The chickadees and titmouse will sit on the box and pound open the seed. The first time one did that, I thought someone was knocking at the door and it took me a while to figure out what it was

Really cute, Lori! Perhaps the pounding is a message of thanks - do you know morse code?