Unsung Heroes

Unsung Heroes

I think it was Ben Franklin who suggested that America choose the turkey as its national bird, wasn’t it? But, honestly, is there any species that demonstrates hard work and ecological conservation better than the vulture? Really, these guys are as ugly as sin, but they do the job they were born to do, serving their country by cleaning up the place. They’re downright patriotic, eating roadkill and then soaring through the skies just as majestically as any eagle. And from far below, one can’t see how unattractive they are with their small, slick, wrinkled heads and clumsy feet. We have watched them from Florida to New Mexico, and lots of them, so they must be able to adapt to whatever we humans throw at them, figuratively and literally.
This week we camped in the Gila National Forest at another treasure of a campground. After white-knuckle driving for a nauseating hour on hairpin curves, we came to Lake Roberts campground. ($3.50 per night, what a deal!) We pitched the tent on a ridge overlooking the white-capped lake (wind again). Swallows were sweeping through the sky eating their dinner, an eagle soared overhead for awhile, a wild turkey gobbled across the lake. Then came my big guys – the vultures! And they were having a blast for themselves. Looking like a squadron of B-24s, they were using winds and updrafts, gliding back and forth across the lake. They had to be having a grand time; you could almost hear them cackling with glee.
The Vulture, Official Bird of the Blue Highway.