sing like wildflowers

My full and kooky life as a homeschooling mommy to 2 great kids, raising a child with HLHS (Hypolastic Left Heart Syndrome), coping with depression, following Jesus, and being much too camera happy.

Chris just got back from a business trip in Des Moines, Iowa. At the office, he was introduced to some imposing vultures that usually hang out in this area. He said a couple of cars had large stuffed animals on the hood to protect their wiper blades from being eaten or get poop on the car paint, which would dissolve the paint since their poop is acidic. As a protected species, the vultures roam around this and people just coexist with them as best as they can.

Posted in

17 responses to “Vultures from Iowa”

  1. Liz Gauffreau Avatar

    That is one nasty-looking bird. 😬

    1. singlikewildflowers Avatar

      These office people have to deal with them on a daily basis! I know what you mean…no other way to describe them.

  2. Pepper Avatar

    Is someone holding it? 😯

    1. singlikewildflowers Avatar

      It’s the reflection of my husband’s hands holding his phone, but it does have that effect!

      1. Pepper Avatar

        Ah, interesting! I kept trying to figure that out. 😁

  3. Linda Schaub Avatar

    Wow – that is odd that they’re hanging out so close to the office and humans looking out the window at them. Their poor cars as well! Since they are a protected species, can’t the Iowa Department of Natural Resources relocate them to a more natural area? I “get” why Chris didn’t bring one home as a souvenir for the family. 🙂

    1. singlikewildflowers Avatar

      Our poor Teddy and Dart would be shaking in their boots looking at one of these birds! I’d rather get a magnet souvenir.
      He doesn’t know why they can’t be relocated but he says those 2 have made a home there, but according to the office people, they have a hundred or so living nearby a lake. Yikes!!

      1. Linda Schaub Avatar

        Two of them would be more than enough but hundred or so more nearby … wow, just wow! I know vultures are important for the environment and what they do, but still …. We have turkey vultures around here, also rather homely looking, but they do their job cleaning up roadkill. Yes, a magnet would be the better choice for sure!

      2. singlikewildflowers Avatar

        They do important environmental work, but they are ugly looking creatures! Lol

      3. Linda Schaub Avatar

        Yes they are … unfortunately not all creatures look soft and cuddly with sweet faces. 🙂

      4. singlikewildflowers Avatar

        These creatures are far from cuddly and sweet looking!

      5. Linda Schaub Avatar

        No, instead you want to back up quietly! 🙂

  4. shoreacres Avatar

    This is so interesting. I grew up about 30 miles from Des Moines, and we went there regularly for shopping, dining, plays and concerts, etc. I don’t remember ever seeing a vulture anywhere when I was growing up, let alone in Des Moines. Clearly, something has changed over the decades. It could be any number of things that made the area more attractive to these birds, but they obviously have settled in.

  5. LightWriters Avatar

    Omigawsh That is a big bird!! Had no idea they were so imposing. 👀

  6. heavenstobetty Avatar

    Your husband’s hands holding the cell phone do make it look like he’s holding the vulture. Cool photo! 😎

    1. singlikewildflowers Avatar

      Thank you! I thought that was weird too at first! But I don’t think he’d willingly hold a vulture for a photo shoot. lol

  7. Michele Kearns Avatar

    Just name a radio station after them and all will be well. We have buzzards here in Northeast Ohio (a.k.a Turkey Vultures). Cleveland’s Rock n Roll station became known as The Buzzard (WMMS) decades ago.

Leave a Reply

Discover more from sing like wildflowers

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading