deluxestogie Grow Log 2015

[Bex]

Wow. How cool is that? I wonder why they chose your patch to settle on. I'd never even seen a photo of a vulture before. We have an eagle sanctuary not far from here - they are trying to introduce them back into the wild - they were apparently indigenous here, but farmers eradicated them to protect their livestock. They're magnificent up close, and their wing span is amazing.

 

[Knucklehead]

Everybody calls them buzzards around here. After googling both terms, Turkey Vulture seems by far the most correct.

 

[deluxestogie]

Why did the vultures chose to land there? A roadkill mammal (probably what was once a groundhog) was on the far side of the road. With small carcasses, they each wait their turn, according to a clear pecking order.

Vultures circle about the fields around here all the time. They are particularly jubilant about hay mowing, since the blades usually whack a few rabbits on every field. I've learned to not feel too creeped out by having them circle overhead from time to time. But at least one or two are visible from my front porch, their broad wings riding the air currents nearly every day.

At certain times of the year, a dozen or more vultures can be seen squabbling out in the pastures. With the larger numbers, the turkey vultures are often accompanied by one or two black vultures. The latter have a poorer sense of smell, so they follow the turkey buzzards to the dinner table.

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

With small carcasses, they each wait their turn, according to a clear pecking order.

Bob

Pecking order. It all makes sense. All of it.

 

[Bex]

I looked this up as well - New World and Old World vultures. Somehow, when you think of buzzards/vultures you think of carcasses, and a pretty unattractive bird. This is probably from Hollywood westerns. I was surprised to find that the condor - at least in my mind, a rather majestic bird - is actually considered a vulture as well.....

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Hate to rain on everyone's parade but those are Black Vultures, Turkey Vultures have orange/reddish heads. I can't help it I've been an avid bird watcher since I was a little kid.


Edit.... never mind, I see that guy from Alabama already made to correct I.D.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

We have magpies, crows and ravens instead, thankfully. Those things are ugly, no matter what you call them.

 

[deluxestogie]

Hate to rain on everyone's parade but those are Black Vultures, Turkey Vultures have orange/reddish heads. I can't help it I've been an avid bird watcher since I was a little kid.

Yup! I'm completely wrong. Every damn one of them in the photos is a black vulture.

I saw what I expected to see. I see vultures in the sky above the pasture on most days. They are usually off in the distance, but display a distinct dihedral angle to their wings. I can also usually see the broad expanse of white under-feathers on their wings. They are (nearly) always turkey vultures. The head color is seldom part of the experience, since I seldom see them up close.

On detailed inspection of the photos, even the vultures in deep shadow are black vultures. The white wingtips are also obvious, now that I've bothered to pay attention.

So...I was wrong--not all that unusual. They were all black vultures--very unusual.

Bob

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Bob, You need to move more. Going out and standing still is baiting those Vultures.

 

[deluxestogie]

And I thought it was my magnetic personality.

Bob

 

[Gmac]

Hate to rain on everyone's parade but those are Black Vultures, Turkey Vultures have orange/reddish heads. I can't help it I've been an avid bird watcher since I was a little kid.


Edit.... never mind, I see that guy from Alabama already made to correct I.D.

You are right----

 

[ArizonaDave]

And I thought it was my magnetic personality.

Bob

Either that, or there's a dead animal on your property?

 

[Bex]

Bob, You need to move more. Going out and standing still is baiting those Vultures.

Funny!!

 

[Gmac]

"Well, Since we're off the [subject] I'll throw this one in."
Two guys on an elevator, one said, "Phew-ee someone's deodorant isn't working." The other guy said, "It must be your's I'm not wearing any."

Gmac

 

[TravisNTexas]

I got to have a trained black vulture fly to me, land on my arm, and take a piece of meat at a bird show once. Fascinating looking at one that is only a foot or so away! We have black and turkey vultures all over this part of Texas.

 

[rustycase]

I haven't seen any of the big scavengers in quite a while...

They really have trouble getting off the ground.

 

[deluxestogie]

I have one photo of a California Condor in flight, as it flew over me and circled the Escalante Route and Colorado River, inside the Grand Canyon. I was on the trail there in 1998 for 10 days: down the Tanner, along the Tonto on the Escalante Route and Tonto Trail, then climb out the Bright Angel. I believe that they've gone extinct within the Canyon once again.

Bob

 

[Bex]

Are you going to post that photo??

 

[deluxestogie]

Are you going to post that photo??

It would take a bit of work to locate it. I seem to recall having the roll of 35mm film digitized, but that was 17 years ago. Sorry.

Bob

 

[Tutu]

The GRIN comparison grow-out has been interesting. GRIN Unknown #10 appears to have all the leaf and auricle characteristics of Izmir Ozbas, but what is bizarre is that 3 of 10 (30%) form a widely oval stalk crossection near the growth end, and then spontaneously twin the stalk. Although the total sample size is relatively small (only 10 plants), the repeated abnormality seems likely to be genetic.

GRIN Unknown #10, with close-up of stalk.

I know this is an old thread. I am bringing it up because I saw something here in Jember that instantly reminded me of Bob's 2015 Grow Log. A farmer brought me into his curing barn to show me this Besuki leaf that according to him, was two leafs in one. On closer inspection it was a full leaf with a second leaf attached to the mid vein. I took a picture with my phone, thus the quality is not brilliant. Thought it was fairly similar and interesting enough to share. Hope you can see it's shape properly!