Close encounters of the buzzard kind

Clayboy · #1 (**permalink**) 07-09-2009, 09:54 PM

I didn't have a lot to do today so I decided to take the cobra out for a quick spin. As some of you know I live in the country, and of course there is lots of wildlife... two legged, four legged as well as winged. One of the most common in our area is the turkey vulture or buzzard. A bird that does a great service to the local community by eating various dead creatures that die by natural causes or as the result of an encounter with a larger object...for instance a car or truck. In other words carrion...dead rotten meat! Buzzards are the original diners at the "Road Kill Grill". The roads in my "neighborhood" aren't that wide, combine that with the trees that line the sides occasionally make it hard to see what's around the next bend. I hadn't gone more than half a mile on the paved county road and was just starting to get up a head of steam...when I rounded a corner and startled a buzzard doing what buzzards do best, eat dead stuff! Now here is where it gets really interesting. Buzzards natural form of self defense is not to use their talons or beaks to protect themselves, OH NO! What they do is puke up what they have been eating! So as I surprise this bird, and I mean surprise!

He lifts up off of his meal and tries to fly and just before I think he's going to smack the windshield he lets loose a belly full of half digested road kill all over the hood and windshield. I'm talking chunks of fat and meat and slime and gore. It was almost enough to make you a vegetarian. Needless to say before I continued my drive I went back to the house and throughly washed the cobra. Now when I tour the local roads in my daily driver I have to make note of where the buzzards are dining so this doesn't happen again.
Bob

twobjshelbys · #2 (**permalink**) 07-09-2009, 10:00 PM

You really gotta get a cheap digital camera!

I probably would have stopped to take pictures.l

jrjmac1 · #3 (**permalink**) 07-09-2009, 10:14 PM

You got off light...just think if you were going 1 mph faster.

ps. Nice rookie stripes!

wanab5150 · #4 (**permalink**) 07-09-2009, 11:07 PM

Let me retort.... Bob, if you were going 3 miles an hour faster, you would have been in the clear, and the only mess would be in your shorts! Or, am I just assuming there was a mess in your shorts.

PatBuckley · #5 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009, 07:56 AM

That sounds horrible!

I'm glad it wasn't worse, Bob - or could it have been?

Ron61 · #6 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009, 08:01 AM

At least he didn't hit the windshield and then you would have really had a mess.

Ron

Bxx1 · #7 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009, 10:45 AM

Lucky that dang bird didnt git you square on the face..... I would take the hit on the windshield any day....

I will remember your story, as I am intending to dirve out to Murphys this weekend.