Turkey Vultures in the Pacific Northwest

Driving home on my usual route last month, as I drove past a normally empty field of grass, three large and unfamiliar birds were congregating less than 5 feet from a residential road.  I couldn’t identify them right away but they were the black-bodied, the size of pheasants and did not flee from my car driving 35 MPH.  When I went back to get a better look, I found there were three turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) eating what appeared to be the remains of a road kill coyote (Canis latrans).  Coyote are normal enough in this location, but the turkey vultures were something I had never seen in this region before.  I had witnessed vultures eating carrion once before, but that was in Arizona in the heart of the Mojave Desert, which is (needless to say) very different in terms of habitat.  I have lived here in western Washington my entire life and was surprised to learn that turkey vultures were not only present and abundant, but native.  The Turkey vulture occupies the southern United States all the way to the southern tip of south America year-round, but in the summer the northern hemisphere population migrates as far northward as central Canada for breeding.

Turkey vultures congregating around the remains of a coyote.
Photo by Dustin Gleaves

The first encounter with the turkey vultures was strange, but stranger still was the following morning when the now nearly-bare coyote remains were surrounded by not only the three turkey vultures, but also by what I presume was a family unit of three bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus):  One adult male, one adult female, and one juvenile.  Unfortunately the bald eagles were more timid than the vultures took flight before I could get an additional photo.  Bald eagles usually catch live prey, but are opportunists, about ¼ of a bald eagles diet comes in the form of scavenged carcasses. 

It appeared that the turkey vultures were waiting for the eagles to finish eating, each was standing facing the coyote at a distance of about 5 feet.  In areas with high bald eagle population density, bald eagles sometimes pirate food from each other, usually when a dominant male takes away a lesser eagle’s catch.  It stands to reason then, that this behavior works to displace smaller birds of other species as well.  The turkey vultures made a wise choice to yield to the eagles, given that they were vastly overpowered, and there was clearly enough to share.

Creative commons (Photo by Wikipedia user Dori)
Notice the perforated nostrils which detect scent more effectively and are easier to keep clean

The turkey vultures remained in that spot off and on for the next week and a half, frequently leaving and returning. The eagles never returned.  When the turkey vultures left for good, the coyote remains still had meat, but it had likely gone rancid in that amount of time.  Turkey vulture do scavenge, but they will not eat rotten meat.  It still seems strange to me that I have never seen a turkey vulture in this region before even through this region is in their migratory range, but perhaps they are simply more adept at avoiding human contact and visual exposure than most other bird species.

Observations:

-Turkey vultures do a lot of standing around next to their carrion, not eating.  Perhaps they were full but didn’t want to lose their spot?

-Turkey vultures are present in Bellingham, WA in late April to early May.

-Bald Eagles will eat carrion in place, on the ground, but will flee if humans or cars approach.

-The turkey vultures did not flee even as I observed them from only 5 feet away with a car engine running, or when cars would pass going 35MPH, which I would expect to frighten away most birds.

- The smell of a recently deceased coyote is extremely strong, I was overpowered standing only 5 feet away, and could detect it from more than 25 feet away.  It is possible that the popularity of the site was due to the exceptional olfactory sensitivity of scavenging birds detecting the remains from a very wide distance.

Lepidoptera in the Arboretum

On May 7, 2015, after unsuccessfully taking photos of squirrels for our group's independent study, I decided that, since I had my camera with me, I might as well head into the Arboretum surrounding Western Washington University. After spending three hours in the Arb, one particular order peaked my interest: Lepidoptera. I'd be lying if I said that invertebrates spark my interest. Even something as beautiful and diverse as butterflies don't exactly have me scrambling to learn the different species and behaviors behind them. Something about these Lepidoptera had me staying for hours watching them. It wasn't necessarily their beautiful colors, but the behavior they exhibited.

Male Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

The one thing that kept me staying was a pair of Red Admirals fluttering together as if in combat. After doing some research, I found out that male butterflies perform a territorial behavior called patrolling. This is when a male will chase off another male in their territory. At several points throughout my stay, Red Admirals chased each other off and one chased off a male Comma. The beating of the wings against each other sounded similar to a large bumblebee buzzing. So you can only imagine the horror I felt when I first heard it right about my head. However, there is controversy whether it is a territorial behavior or a means of getting close enough to smell the pheromones of the other butterfly to determine its sex and species.

Video by Jonathan Silvertown of two speckled wood butterflies in "combat" 

A Red Admiral getting comfortable on my backpack.
You can almost hear him say, "Hello. Do you have time
to hear about our Lord and Savior, Mothra?"  

 Spending some time with them also brought truth to the phrase "social butterfly". After about 30 mins of sitting around watching them and taking photos, they began to flutter closer and closer to me until they were perched on my backpack and the bill of my hat. I have never felt more exhilarated than to have this little creature feel comfortable enough to land on my hat. And not only were they so social, they were adorable! Yea, I know most of you are thinking "Insects? Adorable?", BUT LOOK AT THAT FACE! They truly have an "aww-factor" of their own. Another notable behavior I saw was basking. I always thought butterflies kept its wings open when it landed for attracting mates, but it actually has another purpose. Butterflies are cold-blooded and use the sun's heat to help regulate temperature.

Male Comma

They do this by opening up their wings and facing them towards the sun. It took me some time to realize they were purposely facing towards the sun every time. Then, when they start to get too warm they simply fold their wings up. It was amazing to watch these creatures and how they interacted with each other and with humans. People passing by were also stopping to watch the butterflies and were baffled with how close they could get before their new friends would flutter away. These butterflies were a joy to watch and as the sun started to slowly set, and little sunlight was peeking through the trees it was time to pack up and head out. This experience not only educated me on the behaviors of some Lepidoptera, it also unearthed a new found appreciation for the expansive invertebrate species.

Close up of Red Admiral wings 

No longer will I turn a blind eye and scoff at the little creatures, but explore what little quirks and habits they have! Except don't expect me to jump in and start handling them. That will take a whole different pivotal moment

When they start to warm up too much they fold their wings up. Look at that cute little face!

Arthropods at Squalicum Beach

After class on Thursday April 16th I drove down to Squalicum beach hoping that I would be able to observe some interesting wildlife. It was my first time visiting the park there. After sitting and watching for a while I noticed the multitude of arthropods that call the beach home.

The first thing I saw were the shore crabs (brachyura) scurrying around under the water. They darted from rock to rock in the blink of an eye, obviously trying to lessen their risk of predation while looking for food. Almost every time I picked up a rock there would be a crab underneath that would dart into the billowing sediment and be lost to sight. I managed to catch one in a small pool where it did not have anywhere to run to. I examined it and placed it where I could better observe it and take a few photos.

Above is an image I captured of the crab after it had partially buried itself in the pebble substrate.

Nearby I noticed this dead crab with a swarm of flies (diptera) around it. As I watched, the flies jumped around the carcass trying to access the nutrients within.

By far the most fascinating thing I saw was a species of tiny arthropods that had mysterious habits. They were running across the surface of rocks in the intertidal zone that were covered in algae. Every so often a dozen or more would gather into a ball and they would disperse again after less than a minute. One ball of them rolled off of the rock it was on and amazingly stayed together ofter impacting the sand below. My hypothesis is that it is some sort of mating behavior but I could be wrong. I attempted to photograph them but they were too tiny, they moved too fast, my camera ran low on battery life, and the sun started to set. It seems that the mystery will have to remain a mystery...