Moments #35: The Turkey Vulture

One day, I stepped outside and discovered a turkey vulture walking through the neighborhood.

Usually, I love birds. I put out food for them. I like to take their picture. I’m sad when they leave for a season and I’m happy when they come back. I’m never happy to see a buzzard, though. Buzzards show up when something is dying or has just died. They’re scavengers and turkey vultures are the worst. They only show up after something has already died, mostly so they can get whatever the other scavengers left behind. Their heads are bald so that they can shove their faces into the dead without getting gore on their feathers.

The good thing was that this one appeared to just be visiting. Nothing had died in the neighborhood so it was just looking for a snack to sustain itself until something dead. It walked around and ate a few bugs. The squirrels ignored it. I don’t blame them.