Date: 9/2/25 4:24 pm From: mary hrudkaj via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Early Turkey Vulture Migration?
Living out in the North Mason County area I've had a great view of all the smoke from the Bear Gulch fire near Lake Cushman. I'm wondering how the low hanging smoke along the southern end of Hood Canal may effect the migration pattern of the Turkey Vultures this year.
Yesterday afternoon, around 4:30pm two TV, one adult and one juvenile, came south down the Tahuya River below my house. They rode a thermal up and then over the ridge I live on to the east of the river. I haven't seen any TV in my immediate area for a few weeks now. This morning around 10:45am, while stopped at the traffic light on Hwy 3 in Gorst, I watched two TV come up from a roosting area just north of the intersection and that lead my eye to six more TV rising on a thermal a bit farther north. The birds riding the thermal started to peel off and head south. I almost missed the green light as I was distracted by the TV rising. " Sorry officer, I just got distracted by some birds so missed the light" might work as a defense for a traffic ticket.
I've observed TV using the more central route through Kitsap County down to Gorst then SW toward Belfair during past migrations. That route is used depending on winds throughout the western Puget Sound area. Otherwise, they come down the east side of the Olympics, catching thermals off the road and cliffs in the Tahuya area near the great bend of Hood Canal. This year that area has had a lot of smoke cover from the fire which may change migration patterns.
