My son and hiked around Hueston Woods State Park in SW Ohio yesterday to see if Mother Nature had anything interesting to share. The summer has been dry, so the lake is pretty low. There were a number of dead carp not far from the shoreline and a group of Black Vultures had gathered to feast on the remains.

Black Vultures have not been common around here until recent years as Ohio is on the very northern extension of their range. After a little internet research, I learned that they have become quite a problem for cattle, sheep and goat ranchers in the state. While their diet consists mostly of carrion, it seems that this is a very aggressive species of vulture that hunts in packs and will stalk and kill young calves, lambs, goats and deer.

I have tried on numerous occasions, to get shots of Turkey Vultures in action, but they are extremely timid and easily spooked. Not so with these Black Vultures. Chris and I watched them for several minutes as they scavenged among the dead and rotting fish in the lake and it was fascinating how their wings captured the light of the setting sun.