John Crow


The Town of Culpeper is having a “buzzard problem”. Big birds are hanging out doing their business where the town doesn’t want them.
Forty miles southwest, the City Council of Charlottesville discussed a perceived problem with assemblages of humanoids on their mall, at their meeting November 19. Members of the public made colorful use of language in defense of the humanoids right to sleep on the sidewalk, use base language and solicit funds from passers-by.

What options are in a town’s toolbox for dealing with unwanted wildlife?

Occasionally, a dead vulture (or a replica thereof) may be hung upside down from a tree or tower to get the vultures’ attention. “Using effigies deters roosting,” said town Public Works Director Jim Hoy.–Free Lance-Star

That would make for interesting photos. Other means:

Beginning Dec. 3, town employees (not police), along with officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will make another attempt to run the unwanted residents out of town.
An aerial bombardment, with loud firecracker-type devices, will be used to get the birds to move their roosts to rural areas. If that fails, some of the more than 70 buzzards will probably be shot.–Free Lance-Star

I have a liking for turkey vultures. They consume animals killed by automobiles. They are a working part of the eco-system. They are monogamous, they live a long time, they soar, they don’t talk. They can projectile vomit on you if you get in their space but generally, they do their business, cleaning up (their species name, Cathartes aura, means “cleaning breeze” in Latin).
So, the Town of Culpeper might shoot the offending birds? What about protection conferred by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (MBTA)? What is the exception?

My favorite vulture site, the Turkey Vulture Society
Charlottesville TVs

day of rest

church Callao VA
C.T. Brooks, pastor. Victory Faith Christian Center, Callao, Virginia.

 Her mission is to lay you at the feet of Jesus and He will pick you up.

joint security complex

jail
I drove past this building for years. It sits on the southern side of Interstate 64 in Albemarle County, 38.006329, -78.494941. The elevation that presents to the Interstate has regular windows (albeit small), interesting geometry and no razor wire visible at 70mph. I assumed the building was a motel. Free motel. A guy from Texas told me that this is a really nice place to jail.