Empathy List Archives

PS

Paul Smith

Fri, Aug 9, 2019 11:34 AM

I've followed this chain with great interest, since I intended to post a similar question
This past Sunday and Monday, two different non-birding friends showed my pictures of Turkey Vultures on the ground and asked me "What is this?" (Incidentally, each of them said that they first thought it was a turkey, but then realized that wasn't quite right.) So I was already wondering "Why are there so many Turkey Vultures on the ground right now?"
However, I don't think either one of them was in a recently mowed field. One of them was off a trail in East Rock Park.
Could there be some other small animal that is having a seasonal die-off?
Paul SmithNew Haven

I've followed this chain with great interest, since I intended to post a similar question This past Sunday and Monday, two different non-birding friends showed my pictures of Turkey Vultures on the ground and asked me "What is this?" (Incidentally, each of them said that they first thought it was a turkey, but then realized that wasn't quite right.) So I was already wondering "Why are there so many Turkey Vultures on the ground right now?" However, I don't think either one of them was in a recently mowed field. One of them was off a trail in East Rock Park. Could there be some other small animal that is having a seasonal die-off? Paul SmithNew Haven

RH

Roy Harvey

Fri, Aug 9, 2019 12:04 PM

Rather than an animal die off, I’ve been wondering about an insect emergence. There are annual cicadas that emerge late July, early August from what I have read. They develop underground.

Roy Harvey
Beacon Falls, CT

On Aug 9, 2019, at 7:34 AM, Paul Smith via CTBirds ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org wrote:

I've followed this chain with great interest, since I intended to post a similar question
This past Sunday and Monday, two different non-birding friends showed my pictures of Turkey Vultures on the ground and asked me "What is this?" (Incidentally, each of them said that they first thought it was a turkey, but then realized that wasn't quite right.) So I was already wondering "Why are there so many Turkey Vultures on the ground right now?"
However, I don't think either one of them was in a recently mowed field. One of them was off a trail in East Rock Park.
Could there be some other small animal that is having a seasonal die-off?
Paul SmithNew Haven

This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut.
For subscription information visit http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org

Rather than an animal die off, I’ve been wondering about an insect emergence. There are annual cicadas that emerge late July, early August from what I have read. They develop underground. Roy Harvey Beacon Falls, CT On Aug 9, 2019, at 7:34 AM, Paul Smith via CTBirds <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote: I've followed this chain with great interest, since I intended to post a similar question This past Sunday and Monday, two different non-birding friends showed my pictures of Turkey Vultures on the ground and asked me "What is this?" (Incidentally, each of them said that they first thought it was a turkey, but then realized that wasn't quite right.) So I was already wondering "Why are there so many Turkey Vultures on the ground right now?" However, I don't think either one of them was in a recently mowed field. One of them was off a trail in East Rock Park. Could there be some other small animal that is having a seasonal die-off? Paul SmithNew Haven _______________________________________________ This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For subscription information visit http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org

GW

Glenn Williams

Fri, Aug 9, 2019 1:16 PM

Research shows that Turkey Vultures rarely take live prey and when they do, it is usually in unnatural situations, such as trapped or anesthetized animals. There are some records of TVs eating bird and possibly turtle hatchlings, so I suppose that emerging cicadas are a possibility. Periodical (not annual) cicadas are notoriously difficult for birds to exploit, mainly because of their long, prime-number year cycles (prime number patterns are hard for predators to sync up with) , but that is really getting off topic. For reasons not yet fully understood, avian populations that would exploit cyclical cicada mass emergence are usually at a population low when this happens. I would think that the annual cicadas would be too spread out in forests to exploit; but then again, a few days ago I didn't know that TVs would eat dead insects in a field.

Glenn Williams
Mystic

Research shows that Turkey Vultures rarely take live prey and when they do, it is usually in unnatural situations, such as trapped or anesthetized animals. There are some records of TVs eating bird and possibly turtle hatchlings, so I suppose that emerging cicadas are a possibility. Periodical (not annual) cicadas are notoriously difficult for birds to exploit, mainly because of their long, prime-number year cycles (prime number patterns are hard for predators to sync up with) , but that is really getting off topic. For reasons not yet fully understood, avian populations that would exploit cyclical cicada mass emergence are usually at a population low when this happens. I would think that the annual cicadas would be too spread out in forests to exploit; but then again, a few days ago I didn't know that TVs would eat dead insects in a field. Glenn Williams Mystic

H

hollis.white

Fri, Aug 9, 2019 9:32 PM

Hi all
My experience with haying,is that it leaves a lot of carnage in the fields. As a youngster in northern New York, before TVs arrived in the north,American crows hit the fields after mowing.now because of increased population of white tailed deer,mounting mortality rates of fawns in hay fields has increased. I think the vultures are only doing what they do so well. I've viewed them on the rocky banks of the St Lawrence river,waiting for dead fish from the massena power dam to float with the current towards them.pretty cool.Hollis White,Akwesasne, nySent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy Tablet
-------- Original message --------From: Glenn Williams via CTBirds ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org Date: 8/9/19 9:16 AM (GMT-05:00) To: CT Birds ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org, Roy Harvey rmharvey@snet.net Subject: Re: [CT Birds] More Turkey Vultures on the Ground
Research shows that Turkey Vultures rarely take live prey and when they do, it is usually in unnatural situations, such as trapped or anesthetized animals. There are some records of TVs eating bird and possibly turtle hatchlings, so I suppose that emerging cicadas are a possibility. Periodical (not annual) cicadas are notoriously difficult for birds to exploit, mainly because of their long, prime-number year cycles (prime number patterns are hard for predators to sync up with) , but that is really getting off topic. For reasons not yet fully understood, avian populations that would exploit cyclical cicada mass emergence are usually at a population low when this happens. I would think that the annual cicadas would be too spread out in forests to exploit; but then again, a few days ago I didn't know that TVs would eat dead insects in a field.

Glenn Williams
Mystic

This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut.
For subscription information visit http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org

Hi all My experience with haying,is that it leaves a lot of carnage in the fields. As a youngster in northern New York, before TVs arrived in the north,American crows hit the fields after mowing.now because of increased population of white tailed deer,mounting mortality rates of fawns in hay fields has increased. I think the vultures are only doing what they do so well. I've viewed them on the rocky banks of the St Lawrence river,waiting for dead fish from the massena power dam to float with the current towards them.pretty cool.Hollis White,Akwesasne, nySent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy Tablet -------- Original message --------From: Glenn Williams via CTBirds <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> Date: 8/9/19 9:16 AM (GMT-05:00) To: CT Birds <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org>, Roy Harvey <rmharvey@snet.net> Subject: Re: [CT Birds] More Turkey Vultures on the Ground Research shows that Turkey Vultures rarely take live prey and when they do, it is usually in unnatural situations, such as trapped or anesthetized animals. There are some records of TVs eating bird and possibly turtle hatchlings, so I suppose that emerging cicadas are a possibility. Periodical (not annual) cicadas are notoriously difficult for birds to exploit, mainly because of their long, prime-number year cycles (prime number patterns are hard for predators to sync up with) , but that is really getting off topic. For reasons not yet fully understood, avian populations that would exploit cyclical cicada mass emergence are usually at a population low when this happens. I would think that the annual cicadas would be too spread out in forests to exploit; but then again, a few days ago I didn't know that TVs would eat dead insects in a field. Glenn Williams Mystic _______________________________________________ This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For subscription information visit http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org