Date |
Fairacres |
UNOmaha Campus communications tower |
03/15 |
4 |
- |
05/02 |
7 |
- |
|
05/20 |
12 |
- |
|
06/17 |
18 |
20 |
|
06/28 |
- |
67 |
|
07/07 |
- |
39 |
|
07/08 |
- |
77 |
|
07/11 |
- |
11 |
|
07/13 |
- |
66 |
|
07/14 |
- |
47 |
|
07/15 |
- |
44 |
|
07/20 |
- |
22 |
|
07/22 |
- |
47 |
|
07/23 |
- |
6 |
|
07/25 |
- |
49 |
|
07/28 |
- |
59 |
|
07/29 |
- |
44 |
|
08/01 |
- |
71 |
|
08/04 |
- |
57 |
|
08/09 |
- |
79 |
|
08/12 |
- |
5 |
|
08/15 |
- |
68 |
|
08/18 |
- |
109 |
|
08/19 |
- |
93 |
|
08/23 |
- |
26 |
|
08/24 |
- |
33 |
|
08/26 |
- |
63 |
|
08/27 |
- |
53 |
|
08/28 |
- |
23 |
|
08/29 |
- |
53 |
|
09/01 |
- |
54 |
|
09/02 |
- |
1 |
|
09/03 |
29 |
37 |
|
09/06 |
58 |
- |
|
09/08 |
- |
76 |
|
09/14 |
44 |
9 |
|
09/19 |
27 |
- |
|
10/10 |
- |
22 |
|
10/11 |
- |
43 |
|
10/12 |
- |
43 |
During their distinctive season in 2011, various Turkey Vulture selected an Omaha spot as their preferred place within the totally urban scape of Omaha. The occurrence is significant because of the attention they had and the distinct conveyance of their times, which can be known as a chronicle of the year due to attention and a worthy consideration.
Their occurrence was first noted in mid-March and their prominent presence continued unabated until their autumn departure. There may have been no one watching, but the vultures did not care. They arrived in the evening to sit on the tower. Then left to a more sheltered roost in the coniferous trees in the Fairacres neighborhood a few blocks to the north. Then returned to the tower in the morning, when it was suitable for them, and eventually flew elsewhere in an unending cycle of the 2011 season.
The first observations of record for this year were for the neighborhood where they found a suitable haven for the night. By June, the vulturian preference was obvious. Spend the night in the neighborhood, whilst taking advantage of the big tower at the university campus. The metallic construct was instrumental in their routine. Be there in the morning and arrive there in the late evening.
This was the routine during seven months, based upon personal observations carefully kept and considered, as known by more than forty documented instances where numbers and location were written on a bit of white paper, using a pencil. Each account was a bit of a blurb to accompany pictures which have already been presented on an occasional basis of some significance.
The birds were basically indifferent to whatever else was happening in their immediate realm. Some few people on campus knew about the presence of the birds at the tower. On an occasion or two whilst focusing on the tower gathering, a comment or two was thrown out by a passerby, typically a university employee. Views of the homeowners are not known, but they had to know about the may big birds that arrived late each evening, spent the night and then departed in the morning, to go elsewhere during the day.
Weather had an obvious influence on the counts derived from the communications tower on campus. If it was raining, birds lingered longer — due to wet feathers — upon the metallic supports were they would roost for some time. During foggy conditions, their departure to float and soar above the land to find something edible, would also be delayed. A couple of times, they would continue to be seen during the time which, in a humanistic sense, was noon hour.
The birds take advantage of the tower to ease them along their way. If they sit upon an upper portion of the tower in the evening, when it comes time to get along to the arboreal roost, they might be able to glide the entire distance. In the morning, the direct sunlight of the tower on the hill, suits any need to dry the feathers and warm the blood to get a days float underway.
The situation was obviously suitable in various sorts for vultures. Little or no disturbance occurs to make them go elsewhere to find a suitable place. Though there is little or nothing for them to scavenge on within the urban environs, so they float away each day to hopefully find sustenance elsewhere.
Numbers present changed during the months. Later in the season, a larger number were present, with some of them obviously young which had been carefully raised somewhere else in the region. Their breeding haunts were a secret, but the successful results were obvious.
The number of vultures present at this gathering is unique in the ornithological record for Nebraska. There has never been a larger number of the magnanimous vultures recorded on a continual basis at the same locale, in the historic annals available.
Their particular roost site in the Fairacres neighborhood has changed since a congregation of these birds was first noticed in 2009. The site they prefer has moved a short distance west and slightly south.
Hopefully next year, the Turkey Vultures will occur once again, and look down upon the cityscape as they follow their unending cycles of the seasons along the Missouri River valley.
Turkey Vulture congregation in the morning on the communications tower, October 11, 2011. |