This is a re-post of Diann MacRae's October 16 message, sharing her data on Turkey Vultures and their movements. Thank you, Diann for decades of dedication to TUVU.
Sept. 2025 Turkey Vulture report (long)
Hi, Tweets
Sorry this is a little late. Had a minor accident and haven't been able to type/keyboard well lately - plus, no large turkey vulture numbers except for the note at the bottom from Rocky Point, B.C. plus a couple coming up in October's report. Thanks for the great reports, which I'm sorry I couldn't acknowledge - this report is almost all from Tweeters' reports from Washington, a few from Oregon plus a couple from e-bird.
SEPTEMBER
02 -- Three turkey vultures seen from I-90 while heading west, one at mp 75, one at mp 34, and a third a mile or two west, early afternoon.
03 -- 14 turkey vultures circling over the Nisqually River, suspect foraging on dead salmon along the River, Pink Salmon seen along the river last week: weekly walk at Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston County, (photo); three southbound above Bear Ridge Road/Queen Ann in North Mason area near Tahuya, air quality very poor today.
06 -- Two flying around the north end of Channel Drive near La Conner, they landed in barren fields staying about 20 minutes then harassed by a common raven and left to the east.
10 -- 15 probably feeding on salmon on the Nisqually, Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston County, cloudy to sunny, warm (photo).
14 -- 20 at the Bonneville Fish Hatchery Multnomah County, Orregon, cloudy, light rain, (photos in trees/flying).
15 -- Four circling the parking area for Barnaby Slough near Rockport (also 3 kestrels near the end of Martin Ranch Road), Skagit County.
17 -- 11 turkey vultures at Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston County, sunny and warm, peregrines seen, too, (photos).
18 -- One over Bow, Skagit County at 14:10, four over Edison, Skagit County (with a red-tailed hawk circling with them), one over I-5 at the Stillaguamish River bridge at 15:50.
19 -- 13 turkey vultures at Breitenbush Hot Springs, Marion County, Oregon; 14 seen at Dossewallips State Park, Jefferson County.
22 -- 22 at Wa'atch River Valley (Neah Bay area), Clallam County.
24 -- Five at Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston County, 60-80*, (photo), plus all three falcons: merlin, peregrine, kestrel.
27 -- Ten came off their roost at Basset Park this morning, Washtucna, Adams County.
28 -- Seven circling over Gorst this morning at 10:00, Kitsap County.
30 -- Seven turkey vultures above the Cle Elum River bridge on I-90 a few miles from Cle Elum, seen often in this area in the evening.
NOTE: These are two brief postings from Rocky Point at the tip of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. When doing our study at Salt Creek we figured most of our migrants had come from that and the immediate surrounding areas.
29 Sept - 05 Oct: Turkey Vultures took full advantage of the thermals, with an impressive estimated daily high of over 700 birds seen kettling and heading south on their way to cross the Strait.
"Largest aggregation seen at one time (500+) shortly after 12:30. Not many vultures or raptors over East Sooke. The large flocks were over Rocky Point, specifically over Church Hill, streaming out several km into the Strait in a south-southwesterly trajectory. Many birds were at eyelevel or higher, so over 230 m in elevation. There were kettles forming over the water with aggregations of 50-90 birds vortexing, trying to gain elevation. After reaching a bank of low clouds with fog patches below, the birds returned toward Rocky Point. Several more attempts were made by smaller formations but by 13:45 almost all vultures went out of view to the east. No more flocks of vultures were seen either over Church Hill or East Sooke Park until 14:30 at which time the effort of counting them was halted."
Cheers, Diann
Diann MacRae
Olympic Vulture Study
22622 - 53rd Avenue S.E.
Bothell, WA 98021
<tvulture...> <mailto:<tvulture...>
