True the economic picture has turned bleak with the market hovering around 9000 this morning as this post gets written. Still, we were surprised yesterday by a wake of buzzards perched on a dead copse of trees and haunting Wellfleet Harbor. (Yes, Virginia, “wake” is the collective noun for buzzards … and a rather appropriate one, we might add.)
Wake of Buzzards — Sign of the Times?
Certainly not a commentary on the town, I’m sure.  Wellfleet Bay is, in the opinion of Turtle Journal, one of the most gorgeous natural locations anywhere in the developed world. Yet, even the most stone hearted, cold-blooded, turtle-like person could be forgiven for wondering whether these vultures might portend troubled times ahead.  Somehow, we suspect that this image won’t make it onto a glossy, chamber of commerce picture postcard of Outer Cape must-see sights.Â
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Turkey Vultures Roost on Dead Trees Overlooking Wellfleet Harbor
These magnificent, if somewhat threatening, scavenger birds are turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) that feed almost exclusively on carrion. While some might be repulsed, we’re certain that Ben Franklin would have considered them among the best of birds as he lobbied hard for the selection of the turkey rather than the eagle as our national symbol.Â
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) in Wellfleet Harbor
Not very skittish, these buzzards allowed us to approach within a few feet, not too surprising because they have few natural predators and are protected from us under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. We clicked away in silence but when the camera beeped to change digital storage devices, the vultures decided the better part of valor was to take a long, graceful glide around Chipman’s Cove.
Turkey Vulture Rides the Thermals Above Wellfleet Harbor