After staying at Bartlett Lake for two lovely nights on March 8-9, 2023, we moved on towards Sedona Arizona. We should have stayed put!! We would be rained, and peopled, out of Sedona BUT the weather here stayed great. And no spring break crowds.

This was a magical FREE camping area, the more so since we had prime viewing of a particular species of bird we have long wanted to get good photos of. Many (or most?) folks would not be excited to see turkey vultures up close and personal. We're just a bit different - we were thrilled. Most species of vultures we have seen were far off, or too high above in flight to photograph. This time we were treated to posers. After learning some fun facts about vultures, we find them even more interesting:

A group of turkey vultures is called a committee, or a kettle if in flight, or a wake if they're feeding. The scientific name means "cleansing breeze." Turkey vultures can travel up to 200 miles in a day. Their feet are useless for killing prey, but beaks are strong enough to rip through cow hide. A bald head prevents a delicious meal of dead meat from getting stuck to their feathers. What an incredible sense of smell! The wafting aromas of dead animals can be picked up from over a mile away. They sometimes eat so much that they can't take off or fly until they digest some of their meal. Turkey vultures vomit when they feel threatened.

SO COOL, right?! well, maybe not the last thing - but - SO COOL, right?!