Evening star., 1945-10-27
This and That
By Charles E. Trace,DeH.

Rendezvous for from a dozen to 10
turkey vultures, commonly called buz-
yards, is atop the tall white tower of
swanky Connecticut avenue apartment
house.
Most persons who see these birds do
not know what they are doing there, or
what they hope to see from their lofty
perch.
The buzzards are keeping an eagle eye,
or turkey yulture eye more factually.
on space behind the buffalo park
down in the grounds of the National
Geological Park
There they hope to see, and often do,
bones put out for burial These bones
are leftovers from the royal dinners of
the great cats, the lions and the tigers.
Such bones usually are buried, but now
and then, what with the press of work
and other matters. such as all busy per-
sons know. the bones are simply left in
pile.
When the buzzards see these bones,
still with bits of meat clinging to them,
they swoop down from their high tower.
Since they are doing sanitary service,
they are left undisturbed at their feast.
They do not carry the food away, but
eat it on location.
Who can say that the Zoo men,
interested in all animal and bird life,
do not permit few bones to remain
unburied, now and then? They would
not be human, If they did not, because
the ugly buzzards are treat to watch.
x&
The yulture's-eye view from the white
tower is nothing at all for one of these
big birds, with its ugly head and power
full wings.
Buzzards can spot mouse, it Is said,
at distance of 2 miles. This, of course,
when the rodent is in motion.
At rest in the landscape, a mouse
would scarcely attract the attention of
buzzard, despite its mighty powers of
vision.
Buzzards clean up on small animals,
such as mice and rats. preferring sick
or dead specimens. In this way they
help keep clean the great outdoors, and
undoubtedly do real service to man
kind
The buzzards find the tower also
affords them some warmth
The contrast they make against the
white is really beautiful. In a row they
remind one of an ancient Greek frieze.
X + X
Despite their facial ugliness, the TURKEY
vultures of Rock Creek Valley are al
ways admired, because there are. few
birds which have greater beauty In the
air.
Newcomers to Washington are well
advised to spend half an hour. now
and then, on the Calvert Street Bridge
II the middle of the afternoon is
chosen, they will be rewarded often
enough by the sight of dozens of buz-
yards indulging in their favorite sport
of gliding.
No human aviator can take advantage
of air currents with more skill than one
of these big birds, whose Widespread is
in excess of six feet.
The buzzards seldom do more than
give lazy flap every now and then.
Mostly they simply tilt the wing, and
by that simple maneuver are able to
keep aloft and sailing for another Is
minutes or so.
This gliding Is not as aimless as it
might seem. Like all of the pure chill
dren of nature, the birds are necessarily
on the lookout for food.
This constant change of position en-
ables them to survey the entire scene
beneath them from many angles, bring
ing to view at each turn some new plane
or facet below.
Buzzards are gregarious, because when
one finds food, the others follow him.
The moment one makes long slanting
flight to the ground, the others know
what he is up to, and similarly fly down
after him. In open country 1t is pos
sible to watch the big birds coming in
from all directions, although only one
Of them actually saw the prey.