What I learnt about Egyptian vultures

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That is how the young Rada from Sofia begins  her spontaneous story. This summer, unexpectedly for her, she has observed with big interest the birth and growing of young Egyptian vultures under the care of devoted parents.  Only 8 years old, the girl decide to describe the story of her new friends. And this story we share with you today. We wish to the young author to hold on the good heart she has and to keep drawing inspiration from the wild nature, as we do.  And even much more than us!

"What did I learn for the  Egyptian vulture"

A family of vultures lives in Provadiya. They come to stay only for the summer, and they spend the winter in Egypt, or in Turkey. They are migratory birds – they arrive together with the storks and they leave with them, too. Here, in Bulgaria, they find a nest (in a hole on a cliff), and they lay their eggs there – just one or two.
From the window of my room in our flat where I live with Granny and Grandpa I can see one nest; it is that of one of the thirty families of Egyptian vultures. And they are globally threatened. We call them ‘the cleaners of nature’ because they feed on dead animals.
When we came to Provadiya for our summer vacation, the vultures were already in their nest, and the mother was laying the eggs. Meanwhile the father brought food from far away – it took him a long time to fly there and back.
They took painstaking care of their young. When a large bird approached the nest, they chased it away, picking at it with their beaks until it went away. The two vultures were protecting the nest at all times. The family laid two eggs but unfortunately one of the chicks didn’t survive.
Grandpa and Granny have binoculars and they often give them to me and to my brother so that we can also look at the vultures.
They have a very beautiful flight. They spread their huge wings and let the wind carry them. It’s a lovely sight.
Two weeks ago the chick also flew, at last. Its mom and dad were close by but at one moment it strayed a bit too far but his dad immediately flew after it. The vulture got tired and landed on a rock. Then it flew back to the nest in the hole.
So every day it flies a little because autumn is coming and it has to fly away with its parents soon.
The grown-up birds have white on the underside of the wings but the chick is dark all over.
It is hard for them to find food now but a nice man started bringing them food. He is feeding them.
It’s a pity we will not be in Provadiya when the family flies away but Granny and Grandpa will tell us when they do.
I was very happy to observe the Egyptian vultures because they are very beautiful.

24 August 2012
Provadiya, Bulgaria
Rada Yonkova Hristova, 8 years old