Buzzards

Out for a drive on our Friday night date last week, the wife and I went down a woods road in Sweden, Maine. Several turkey buzzards flew across the road in front of the pickup. They're huge birds, especially when seen up close, which is rare. We usually see them soaring high up with their fingered feathers splayed out to make them distinguishable from more noble birds like eagles and hawks.

As more flew out of the woods, I pulled over and rolled down the driver's window. The death smell was strong. I wrinkled my nose and looked over at the wife but she hadn't smelled it yet. Then I noticed two ugly buzzards sitting on a limb. I was glad I'd purchased an 18-270mm zoom a few months before. In slow motion, I brought the camera up and focused on them, hoping they wouldn't fly before I could get a shot. You wouldn't think so, but buzzards are quite shy. It's as if they sense human disdain.
I figured those two were the hungriest ones - reluctant to leave the supper table. As I inched the truck toward them they finally bolted, so I got out to see what they'd been dining on. The smell got stronger and I noticed some red cloth a little ways down the banking. That scared me because I considered it might be a human body they'd been eating. Once in a while, murderers from more populated areas to our south would dump a victim up here in the woods thinking it would never be found. Thankfully, the red cloth was just a rag. Further on I was relieved to see the remains of a fat porcupine, which I did not photograph.