Johnson: Vultures just passing through

Quite frankly, theirs is not a welcome sight — drifting in the air overhead, circling attentively, large wings outstretched and eyes trained on the ground below.

In search of ponies

Lore and common perception would indicate some unfortunate creature lies below, struggling to take its last breaths as they cruise around, waiting to pick the bones clean, and no matter the truth of things, that tends to be the first thing to come to mind when the buzzards flock in.

Reality is, however, there are numerous reasons why vultures might cruise the skies over Clovis, and for that matter the Eastern Plains, and only some of them have to do with capitalizing on the unfortunately dearly departed.

Arriving in the last couple of weeks as temperatures have cooled slightly, a sudden presence of vultures is a sign that fall is here.

Passing through the community during their seasonal migration to warmer southern areas — such as the southern part of the state, Mexico and possibly going as far as Brazil and Argentina — they will also signal spring when they head north as temperatures rise again.

Sticking together when they travel, vultures form groups, otherwise known as committees, venues, or volts that are dozens to hundreds strong, lending to their ominous appearance.

As disconcerting as it can be to spot the large black birds swarming uniformly above neighborhoods or floating from tree to tree along main roadways, some assurance might be found in knowing that rather than flocking to the area just for a feast of the not so savory kind, they are really here to catch a rest and occasionally stretch their wings as they prepare for the last leg of their journey before the cold sets in.

Not to say they don't partake — because even when (or especially when) traveling, a bird's gotta eat, they really do like carrion, and yes, that includes road kill and the like — but they are also not above having some decaying vegetation every now and then.

Dead stuff is, therefore, a possible reason why vultures might circle. Flying low and slowly above the ground, while most birds rely on sharp vision to locate their prey, vultures are able to detect the scent of decay from the air and so they spend much of their time soaring on the lookout for nutritious goodies.

So heavily do they rely on scent, in fact, vultures have even been known to cluster around natural gas leaks, attracted by the putrid odor of ethyl mercaptan, a chemical added by gas companies to make people aware of dangerous leaks.

Another reason a kettle of vultures might swarm is to take advantage of warm air currents, riding thermals in a funnel-like pattern to get higher altitude.

And in the evening when they soar up above the city streets, they are likely headed to their temporarily designated family roost, preferably located in dense trees or tall towers.

If vultures are spotted munching on a roadside treat, it might be interesting to know that during that moment they are referred to as a wake — a not so subtle image.

The truth of the matter is vultures are a little icky with their balding heads, sharp beaks meant for tearing and creepy habits, but they do a great job of cleaning up the unpleasant side of life, and luckily, are known for avoiding confrontation.

So fear not. They might clean up a little while visiting, but should head out of town before the spooky day at the end of October when colder weather arrives — because what they're really after is sun, fun, and, yes, cuisine, but with a slightly tropical flavor.

Sharna Johnson is a writer who is always searching for ponies. You can reach her at:

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