A Bad Omen?

[Keith Jackson]

I was headed home after dropping off my grandson and noticed a house with about a dozen vultures on the roof. Not sure I want to know what it means.

 

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[kcm]

They were simply warming themselves in the morning sun. Vultures fly vast distances and can detect traces of carrion from quite high up. Therefore, they often do not make it home to the nest at night. So in the morning after a cool night, you'll see them choose a spot to warm up. Sometimes they will remain in an area for several days, and may continue to return to the same roof (or branch/tree) each morning.

 

[old digger]

Maybe somebody died in the attic. With heat and the thermals most vultures will smell a dead body. ''Maybe'' ?

 

[kcm]

If somebody died in the basement, they could still smell it. But look at the shadow of the tree. I'd say about 8:30-9:00am. OP says he was headed home after dropping off his grandson. That indicates morning. We're well into Fall now, which means cooler temps. Now notice that every one of the vultures are soaking up the sun.

...And I was wrong before. Come to find out, vultures don't build nests. They will normally lay their eggs in a crevice in the rocks or an old building or in trees. And while they can handle quite cool temps, they are best suited for tropics and subtropics regions. OP is in Maryland, and seems it's getting down in the 30's and 40's at night. Vultures are not good flyers, but they can glide for many hours. Because they are not strong flyers, they must warm themselves in the morning sun before setting out to find their next meal.

I also found out that, while vultures prefer "...carrion, garbage, and even excrement...", some have been known to take helpless prey such as lambs and tortoises, or even newborn calves.

 

[tamrock]

Maybe dead squirrels in the attic ?

 

[smokeythecat]

I always like seeing them when they are sitting on fence posts with wings outspread catching some rays.

 

[kcm]

Maybe dead squirrels in the attic ?

....or poisoned rats?!?!?

 

[Keith Jackson]

If somebody died in the basement, they could still smell it. But look at the shadow of the tree. I'd say about 8:30-9:00am. OP says he was headed home after dropping off his grandson. That indicates morning. We're well into Fall now, which means cooler temps. Now notice that every one of the vultures are soaking up the sun.

...And I was wrong before. Come to find out, vultures don't build nests. They will normally lay their eggs in a crevice in the rocks or an old building or in trees. And while they can handle quite cool temps, they are best suited for tropics and subtropics regions. OP is in Maryland, and seems it's getting down in the 30's and 40's at night. Vultures are not good flyers, but they can glide for many hours. Because they are not strong flyers, they must warm themselves in the morning sun before setting out to find their next meal.

I also found out that, while vultures prefer "...carrion, garbage, and even excrement...", some have been known to take helpless prey such as lambs and tortoises, or even newborn calves.

You are good. It was a little before 10:00 in the morning. I hadn't thought about the warming thing. My step daughter, who lives across the street, said that they had been feeding on something in her back yard the night before which she believed was a rabbit.

 

[RGINN]

Well like me, as you get older, you will see those more and more.

 

[kcm]

Boy, that many vultures for a rabbit They must have gone to law school!!

10am - ah yes, the time change. Dang time change is still throwing me off.

 

[BosnMate]

They are probably on their way south, they have left this part of Oregon. Been gone a couple of weeks from here. One time long ago, there was a very bad car wreck. The car was going to fast, left the road, was airborne, hit a tree sideways, split in two, everyone in the car was killed and in pieces. The wreck was cleaned up right away, and all remains collected and of course removed. Vultures circled that spot for several days. I've also cut snakes up into chunks when mowing hay, and the chunks get raked up into windrows, and some how the vultures can pick up on that.

 

[worldtalker]

They are probably on their way south, they have left this part of Oregon. Been gone a couple of weeks from here. One time long ago, there was a very bad car wreck. The car was going to fast, left the road, was airborne, hit a tree sideways, split in two, everyone in the car was killed and in pieces. The wreck was cleaned up right away, and all remains collected and of course removed. Vultures circled that spot for several days. I've also cut snakes up into chunks wh
en mowing hay, and the chunks get raked up into windrows, and some how the vultures can pick up on that.

A couple years ago I put a dead skunk(didn't spray)under leave cover,danged if 2 vultures didn't home right in on it.

 

[BosnMate]

You know, those vultures have got to have really bad breath. Don't think Listerine would do them a bit of good.