Another Sign of Spring .....

Turkey Vulture Warming To Fly .....

Yes, another sign of spring is the return of the turkey vultures to the area skies.  We know all about the important role that they play in the the clean up of carcasses & roadkill, but I'd rather not see them anywhere near the sheep.  This one was in the very front paddock along US Route 30 and it flew up to the guard rail to hop on something along the road .....  
The more aggressive black vultures are known to attack sheep & cattle while they're "down" and in labor.  We lost a ewe several years ago who was laying in the warm sun near a post like this.  We didn't see the actual bird closely, but I had the "impression" of a black shape taking off from the post ..... We had come home down the driveway & I saw "red" on a ewe standing behind the barn.  Since it was a week or two before the sheep were due, I thought I saw a dreaded prolapse and hurried out.  Not so.  She had been attacked as she was stretched out enjoying the sun and I suppose she couldn't get up on her feet quickly enough.  We had to put her down and we lost the twins that she was carrying.  It was too early to get their lungs to fill with air.  That was a very unpleasant experience.  In the blogs, I notice that farmers generally try to accent the positives, but sometimes you'll hear "the rest of the story".