Lots of Egg Turning-June 4-6

Fun Fact #3
Vultures have relatively weak legs and feet with blunt talons, though they do have powerful bills.  If a carcass is too stiff for them to rip open, they will wait for another predator to open the flesh before they feed.  This is why vultures are often seen with other carrion-eating animals.

Amelia impatiently waiting for me to leave the area.
 If you click on this photo you can see the blunt talons and her wicked beak

I can't tell if Amelia is bored, sleepy or really upset with me!

On my last memory card switch I put in a new 32 GB card.  Since I am going to be gone for nearly a week to visit Trish for Lily's ballet recital and visit NYC I wanted to make sure there was enough memory just in case the egg hatches.  I did notice today as I logged in all of the photos from Sunday until today that there was a lot of egg turning last night and both adults were checking out the egg with a great deal of interest. Or I could be reading more into their behaviors and it could mean nothing. Tomorrow will be 34 days but documented incubation is thought to be 34-41 days so it could hatch as late as next Wednesday.

Orville checks in this morning at 7:21

And I do believe he gives her a little peck before he takes off a minute later!

3 hours later and Orville is back.

This is a behavior that I had not seen.
 It looks as though both the adults are turning or checking out the eggs

7 minutes later, Orville is gone and she seems to be settling back onto the eggs. 

I plan to wait until late Thursday to change out the memory card.  I don't like to disturb the female especially with the raccoon so close.  Every time the egg is left unguarded it provides opportunity for the raccoon to snatch an easy meal.

Turkey Vulture Watch- Day 30 "Still No Chick"

No chick, but Amelia has managed to keep her remaining egg safe from, what I now know with much certainly, is a female raccoon.  How do I know it is a female you ask?  Because today, as I was switching out the memory card in the trail cam I heard a strange squeaking noise.  After climbing into the rafters and searching above for several hiding places I followed the noise on the floor but to a very difficult place to get a good visual.  We have several doors, as in 5-8 leaning against one another at the end of the barn wall.  Behind the very first door I could barely make out Mom and several very young babies, probably a day or two old, tucked into a very tight area.  It was so tight that I couldn't even get my camera lens in to get a picture.  Probably just as well as I'm sure mom was not very happy that I located her noisy brood.  I am not very happy about this new twist for two reasons.  I feel it may jeopardize the vulture chick's chance of survival and it pretty much assures that after planting and weeding our garden, I will not be getting any sweet corn again this year!  I've already replanted my green beans because of our pesky little ground hog.  I guess that is the price you pay for living in the country.

Fun Fact #2
There are 23 species of vultures world wide.  Vulture species are divided into two groups:
     1)  New World (The Americas and the Caribbeans)
     2)  Old World (Europe, Asia and Africa)
New World vultures are more closely related to Storks than raptors.

You will notice, or maybe not, that I changed the position of trail cam again.  Since we are nearing the end of the incubation period I thought it would be a good idea to move farther away from the nest so I won't be quite as intrusive.  I'm glad I did and I think the new angle picks up more of their movements, especially at night.

These first two photos were the closer camera position

I moved the camera back a little closer to the stairs but farther from the nest.

For some reason I had very few nesting photos from the other angle.  So I guess closer isn't always better.

Momma raccoon, I shall hence forth call her Bandita.  Out at 2:30 am.

Back at 4:30 am.

Amelia is sitting tight.

Time to turn that egg!

More Vulture Trivia- May 24-31

FUN FACT #1
Did you know that vultures are relatively social birds, often feeding, roosting and flying together.  A group of vultures is called a committee, a venue or a volt.  When in flight a group is called a kettle and I saved the best for last. When feeding at a carcass the group of vultures is referred to as a wake.

As of 9:07 this morning there is still one turkey vulture egg in the nest.  Photos are much the same, flying in, flying out and occasionally a shot of them turning the egg.  Saturday, June 3 marks 30 days and possible hatching could occur anywhere between 34-41 days according to my research.  I'm assuming the blessed event will happen while I am in Delaware for Lily's ballet recital. This might be for the best and I will be sure to put a 32 GB card in before I go so we can see what happens inside the vulture lair.

I was worried after the one egg disappeared. Perhaps the critter that took it didn't like how it tasted!

Seems very curious about the camera....or he just wanted his picture taken.

In my notes I refer to this as egg turning.

I get very few shots of both, Amelia & Orville. I still cannot distinguish one from the other.

Turkey Vulture-Mystery of the Missing Egg - Fri. May 19 to Wednesday May 24

Sometime between Friday at 5:25 pm and Sunday 4:48 pm an egg disappeared.  Strangely enough the camera did not capture what exactly became of on of the eggs. So as of now, there is only 1 egg remaining.

And then there was one!

Amelia (or Orville) perched out side the barn window

May 21-24
     Because an egg was missing I decided to wait an extra day before changing out the memory card from the trail cam.  The first time I tried one of the adults was still in the barn.  Before when this happened they would just jump behind a bale of straw and I would change out the card and leave.  Today, however, there was much flapping and hissing and a distinct insistence that I leave. So I did.  I returned several hours later, and both adults were out although one was perched out side the barn window.  I quickly changed out the memory card, re-adjusted the camera and left as quickly as possible.  I suspected that a raccoon absconded with the egg but I have no proof.  There was an unusual visitor though last night.

Evidently this is protection mode

This is not at all who I suspected, and I still do not think this is the egg thief

Now, what is this cat thinking?

Obviously has never heard the old saying, "curiosity killed the cat"!

Must have been a very hasty exit!!!

A rare photo of Amelia and Orville