Turkey Vulture sightings

(East Ottawa, Moorfield, Brampton, Ancaster)

July 2 2014 - a reader wrote to tell us ..... I had the roofers fixing my roof this morning, so I took out my camera with my 500 mm lens and just hung out and looked for birding opportunities while the roofers were banging away. All of a sudden, around 9:30 am, I saw, high in the sky, this large bird soaring in circles approaching my house, I took a few shots that I have enclosed. I live in the east end of Ottawa, in Orleans. I looked at the photos in photoshop and confirmed that the bird was a Turkey Vulture, I have been in Ottawa for nearly 25 years, and this was my first sighting of this type of bird.

Phil wrote to tell us ..... We have seen three of them circling over by our house. We live close to a farm that has cows and we have 8 chickens here. The grass behind our house is longer so we assumed they are looking for something to eat, maybe? They have been here a few times now so we know they are interested in something around here. We live close to Moorefield, Ontario and on Wellington road 8.

Nuria from Brampton wrote to say ..... On August 10 at approximately 6:32 pm there was something circling our yard and when it landed on our neighbour's brick fence, we saw that it was a Turkey Vulture. At first we thought it was a Eagle and that it wanted our dog. Behind our backyard is a train track so when the Vulture landed there, I peered over and it was eating a dead raccoon. It was very surprising to see one as I live in Brampton but I have seen other rare animals also.

Another reader wrote to say that a huge Turkey Vulture had been spotted in Ancaster, Ontario (West Hamilton).

Thank you all for writing to tell us about your sightings of Turkey Vultures - and thank you too, to the person from Ottawa who sent these great pictures!

I will also post this on our facebook page.