met up with a few friends at the park

Three black vultures perch on a log above Herring Run, Baltimore, Maryland. © 2023 S. D. Stewart
A piebald white-tailed deer in Herring Run Park, Baltimore, Maryland. © 2023 S. D. Stewart
Previous Post
Leave a comment

5 Comments

  1. Unknown's avatar

    Anonymous

     /  September 15, 2023

    The black vultures frighten me so, very menacing. Why do two of them have lighter-colored beaks and the other’s beak is black? LOVE the piebald white deer picture.

    Like

    Reply
    • sean's avatar

      The one with the all-black bill is an immature bird. There were actually five of them altogether, and they were feeding on a deer carcass just off the trail. I literally walked up to within a few feet of them and they were unperturbed. I took some video of them, too, after they flew down to some rocks next to the stream and started eating out of each other’s throats. It was pretty great, except for the smell of the deer carcass. We’d had a big storm earlier this week and the stream overflowed. It took out one of the retaining walls near where the vultures were hanging out. I think the deer may have drowned and was washed up on the stream bank during the storm.

      Like

      Reply
  2. Nate's avatar

    I think much of my affection for vultures and buzzards comes from watching the Skeksis in The Dark Crystal growing up. I always expect a vulture to dip its head obsequiously and start simpering, Mmmm, yes, yes, with a scheming dark gleam in its eye.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Nate's avatar

    BTW white deer were considered magical creatures in The Mabinogion. They were heralds that would lead you into the otherworld. You appear to be on the border of something!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a reply to Anonymous Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Recent Posts

  • Navigation Station

    The links along the top of the page are rudimentary attempts at trail markers. Otherwise, see below for more search and browse options.

  • In Search of Lost Time

  • Personal Taxonomy

  • Common Ground

  • Resources

  • BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS