World Trip Reports

Lots of Vultures, South France



I was just being driven back to my holiday home from Sete, SW of Montpellier on the motorway.
I suddenly saw, just to the side of the road, a large flock of circling birds.
I had not expected to see vultures in a relatively flat part of the country.
I could see about 15 Griffons and when I took a shaky look through my bins I could see about 10 lovely white Egyptian Vultures.
The size difference was amazing to see.
I thought that it was strange that there were so many in the same place especially as it was cloudy.
There must have been a dead animal the other side of the verge that a nearby Vulture must have smelt through the cloud, and all the other vultures circling high would have see this one descend and all come in for a meal.
I wonder how far the Vultures came from?
I don’t know why they were all circling when they could have been having a meal. There must have been more on the suspected carcase as well.
Anyway, I’ve never seen vultures like that before. Although it was only a very short seeing, it was still quite an experience.
Laurie.


Griffon Vultures are smashing birds and I like them more and more the more I see them. They do range far from colonies in search of carrion using their amazing sight. I think its fascinating how small groups, often many miles apart, manage to join up for dinner.



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