Turkey Vulture Nest

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During a training hike this morning, I found a Turkey Vulture sitting on two eggs inside a cave on Spencer Butte. Vulture nests are actually quite hard to find; these birds are incredibly secretive for how common they are. Their main defense is to vomit on any intruder at the nest, so I didn’t get too close, but you can see the two speckled eggs if you look close enough at the photo.

I start hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 22 days! Today I bought a complete set of maps designed by a man who calls himself Halfmile (seems like most long-distance hikers go by funny trail names), and a new tiny iPod. My stack of gear is growing. I’ll be hauling it all on my back soon enough…

2 replies
  1. Cole Ferguson
    Cole Ferguson says:

    Hello, my name is Cole Ferguson son of Douglas Ferguson, who is friends with your dad Bob Keefer. I am also going to hike a part of the PCT oregon and washington. I was wondering where on spencer butte you found this cave. Also what is your staple food for your hikes and in what are you stashing your food caches in.

  2. Garrett
    Garrett says:

    Hello, my name is Garrett Castle, I am a daily hiker of Spencers Butte and had found a Turkey Vulture nest a while back, also in a small cave on a rocky outcrop a little down the mountain. But instead of two eggs there were two babies, one just hatch when I came across it. I was wondering where you found your cave, maybe it was the same one.

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