Brooding turkey vulture in a 14 ft. hollow of a blue oak tree. This image is a composite of 3 photos.
Peering down the vulture hole, I am amazed at the ability of the turkey vultures to climb in and out of this nesting location. It is fourteen feet from the opening to the base.
It is unclear whether this brooding vulture is on eggs or new chicks. It should be nearing time for the eggs to hatch, if my calculations are correct. On March 5th & 6th , I recorded the pair breeding at the entrance and the female retreating inside the nesting cavity. I am making an educated guess that this was around the time of laying their eggs. Most sources site 34-40 days incubation. Sources are vague on the day count, but in all fairness who counts days for vultures hatching? The UStream Missouri turkey vultures incubated for 34 days in 2012.
Both parents incubate the eggs and share in raising the chicks. I do not know when incubation began for this pair.
So for now, all I know is…
Tukey-vultures Are Residing Down Inside Shelter.
TARDIS…bigger in the inside. 😉
Sneaking Bliss 
insightful…I know nothing about them, so the information is all being soaked in like a sponge… 🙂 Good detail…
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They are pretty secretive birds.
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Mary,
You and your photos are a terrific resource. Thanks for the photo and post.
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Awe, thanks.
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Reblogged this on THE FORESTER ARTIST and commented:
This is a post from our yard by the Backdoor Artist. I held the ladder while Mary captured this great image of one of our resident turkey vultures.
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I never see that in my entire life! So amazing!!!!
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The more I observe these birds, the more fascinated I become.
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Hey! I am not sure if you accept blogging awards, but I have nominated you for the Volatile Blogger award. Do check out this link for more details:
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Def. bigger on the inside:) Looking forward to chicks.
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Me, too.
Their chicks are fluffy white, go figure! 😉
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Wow! Incredible! I hope you get pictures of the babies. I’ve never seen vulture babies before! Or vulture eggs.
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I hope so too! I’ve seen pictures of babies and I’ve taken pictures of fledglings. But fledglings are like teenagers, they aren’t as cute as babies.;)
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Amazing to get to see this along with you Mary .. how often do you take a peep I wonder …
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I try to give them their space. I typically just hold a camera up there and shoot, hoping to get something.
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This is such a cool picture. Great education I’m receiving about vultures, whom I know nothing about.
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Great photo. So glad you could see down there.
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I didn’t see a thing, just lifted the camera over the opening and shot. I preset the flash and focus. I don’t want to bother them in the nest. I don’t think I would like some giant sticking its head in my house.
😉
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You got the job done with insignificant intrusion. Tiss good. 🙂
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Interesting photo. Spotted it reblogged on Tim’s blog and was drawn by the title which hinted of Doctor Who and sure enough you ended with a TARDIS acronym – funny too. 🙂 We don’t have Turkey Vultures in the UK, apart from zoos and wildlife parks, so their lives are new to me, Surprised they nest so close to people.
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You will appreciate their choice of trees, it is a blue oak. I guess the blue box was already taken. 😉
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