FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009, BALD EAGLE & TURKEY VULTURE CONFRONTATION
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Ron Bates on Five Star Whale Watching's "Fast Cat" noticed a Bald Eagle sitting on the ground near Albert Head. Eagles usually only revert to being at ground level under two circumstances: (1) Oncoming stormy weather when they seek refuge from high winds so that their feathers don't get ruffled; and (2) When they are injured or sick and cannot get airborne.
Bald Eagles are the only eagles unique to North America. They got their name not because they are bald, but either (1) They were first described as "piebald". A Piebald is an animal that has a spotting pattern of large unpigmented (sometimes expressed as white) areas and normally pigmented patches; or (2) From the old English word “Balde” meaning “white”.
As passengers watched, a Turkey Vulture glided onto the scene; we suspect to investigate. Turkey Vultures have a tremendous sense of smell, an ability that they use to find and scavenge dead or dying animals. Even as they are flying several hundred feet up in the sky they can pick up the gases and odors from infected or decaying flesh. Turkey Vultures have no feathers on their heads as they have a nasty habit of putting their heads where you wouldn't want feathers that could get soiled and coated.
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