A little out of range, but a black vulture is being seen in Montana, north of Helena.

——– Original Message ——–
Subject: [MOB-Montana] Black Vulture in Choteau-located [1 Attachment]
From: “Timothy Barksdale timothy.barksdale@gmail.com [MOB-Montana]”
Sent: Friday, September 14, 2018, 9:06 PM
To: MOB-Montana@yahoogroups.com
CC: Michael Schwitters

[Attachment(s) from Timothy Barksdale included below]

Mobsters-

Since I don’t do email on my -phone and do not have internet at my house right now… And… I am selling 2 of my 3 pieces of property including my house, I am a bit busy and perhaps seemed distracted. I also only get the digest and so miss all of the updates etc…

Apologies for not giving out a ton of information but I had to do the research and the work. Everything came together today.

This evening about 4:44 pm, Mike Schwitters and I located the bird at point blank range and had 100% confirming looks- after it was originally spotted from above on a bluff overlooking the city. The bird came in to a roost low and fast, disrupting all the other birds. We jumped in the car drove down to the public streets and I finally spotted the smaller, blacker(with greenish cast) and whitish light grey tarsi, with white in the primaries and the classic blackish cowled wattles on the head and facial area. Bill is tipped with creamy yellow. Distinctive scoop shape etc.

Mike and I will document the bird and have over 200 images to work with.

I drove over 150 miles today following my hunches that the vultures are feeling on dying calves as well as roadkill..

The bird was originally found on Sept 11 in town, drinking water about 6 pm in the evening from a tire, planter where sprinkler water had accumulated. They did not want to be disturbed or surrounded by birders when it was posted. Also, Due to some weird timing, they did not want to post stuff right away- and of course- WE HAD NO EVIDENCE the bird was still here. I learned about this bird yesterday and saw the first images then. I was stunned.

So we finally found it.

In the last 2 weeks it sounds like a Vulture roost has formed nightly on the south side of 8th St. NW in Choteau. There, a series of very large Cottonwoods furnishes an excellent evening perch. These trees are also visible from 9th Ave NW. I suspect that if birders are standing on the street and the birds fly out in the morning – the Black Vulture will be found. If it returns to the roost on the night of the 15th then it will be relatively easy at that time too. But we of course have no guarantees. Cold nights will move these birds out at some time.

Anyway, it has now been a long day and I will drive back out to the house and sleep.

I hope Mike posted too.

Tim

Timothy Barksdale
Birdman Productions LLC
P.O.Box 1124
69 Mountain View Dr.
Choteau, MT 59422

Birdman Adventures LLC
Somewhere in Missouri 🙂

timothy.barksdale@gmail.com

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