Dear Editor,
A sure sign of spring is the return from the south of our resident flock of turkey vultures. I started keeping notes almost 30 years ago when I realized our soaring neighbors returned to Bluff on almost the Vernal Equinox every year and after keeping track for a couple of years could predict that the first birds would show up on March 21 plus or minus 2 or 3 days. It’s become a tradition to watch and report to each other and sure enough, both Liza Duran and Mark & Robbin Bond reported that first sighting on Wednesday, March 20! Interestingly it is not uncommon to see vultures in Monticello and Cortez much earlier but this little gene pool has probably come back to our cliffs on the same schedule since the ice ages. Time doesn’t mean much in this country. Watch ’em, count ’em, and love ’em this summer, neighbors, and keep soaring yourselves!
Jim Hook
Bluff, Utah
Canyon Echo 