Rainy day question
 

The wife and I spent two days on the Eastern Shore and an evening at the Knapps Narrows Marina and Inn.
We saw lots of deer, turkey, geese, bald eagles, and BUZZARDS. One section of fence posts had a buzzard on each post with their wings spread as if they were soaking up the sunshine. You could really get an idea of the size of these birds:eek:. This lead me to ponder a question, which I hope someone on the board can answer.

These birds are as large as the bald eagles we saw, yet we don't see lots of huge nests in trees. We get excited seeing an eagle nest, but where (or how) do buzzards nest? I'm puzzled, I can't find rockfish or buzzard nests:D. Seriously, does anyone know if they nest in trees, on the ground, or what?

Next week is looking like decent weather, I'll post fishing reports instead of dumb questions like this:eek:.
5th (Marty)

The nest of the turkey vulture is usually found on a cliff, on the ground in caves, crevices, in mammal burrows, in hollow trees, in thickets and in abandoned buildings. Adult females lay two cream colored eggs with brown spots on the larger end. Both parents sit on the eggs and the young are born forty days later.
Baby vultures feed on regurgitated food and are able to fly after about ten weeks. Turkey vultures are highly social animals and prefer to roost in large colonies in dead trees, cell phone towers, rooftops and porch coverings.


http://www.pestproducts.com/turkey-vulture.htm

Theres a roosting area right at the top of Forest Drive/Aris T Allen Blvd and you'll see a bunch of vultures there in the morning and eve. They are more of a "roosting" type bird than a "nesting" type, so a nest is only used for the babies.

Thanks uncljohn; I figured they had to be somewhat "hidden" or else the tops of trees would be full of "nests". I thought maybe they nested on the ground like turkeys.
5th (Marty)

Check your local Mexican Restaurant trash dumpster... YUCK...

Whats even better, vultures are a protected species in Maryland, you can go to jail for shooting them.... ( I'm sure thats an Erlich Law....;) )

Who else is gonna clean up all that roadkill on Maryland's highways? How easy would it be to bait some vultures?

I also see them on the overhead sign at Rt 50 and Sandy Point overpass in the mornings.

Maryland public TV did a cool story on Vultures a few years ago in Md.
Somewhere up near Frederick - a new community was built. It was a Vulture roosting area.
The big birds tore up the roof shingles , pooped all over and would vomit on people who got too close.

Being protected - not much the homeowners could do.

My wife did a little research on the web and it also says they "defecate on their legs" because the moisture from the $hit and pee acts to cool the bird down.

That's one big ugly, nasty bird:D.
5th (Marty)

Skip, theres two places. Mount Airy is the place you speak of.

And then theres Laurel Maryland...

http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/stor...4671&catid=158

Lake Linganore