So what does a very beautiful, chilly morning (for Texas, 53 degrees) bring to me? A spectacular site of a committee of vultures roosting in a huge dead tree. They all had their backs facing east so that they could absorb as much warmth from the sun on their black backs as possible. Incredible! Some even had they’re wings spread open to provide even more surface area to heat up.  They must have been the chilly ones. I would not have noticed this spectacular site had it not been for 3 deer browsing in my perennial garden. Or more correctly – what’s left of my perennial garden! (It’s been a tough drought.) I was chasing the deer off into the ranch at the back of my property when I looked up, and there they were! All hanging out in the vulture motel. The picture doesn’t do it justice, but the site took my breath away.

I have great respect for vultures. They are such an important part of the ecosystem. They break down, digest and transform carrion into a form that can be used by bugs and the earth to ultimately recreate life. They eat what few other animals will and in so doing aid in the continuous recycling process of the earth. They are the cleanup crew. They are also one of the few animals actually doing well at the moment due to the high death rate of all the other wildlife. Such is life though. One man’s death is another man’s bread.