I took that online career test, the URL of which has been making the rounds, and my top suggested career was Zoologist. Which is great, because that's exactly why I'm going to school. But that's not the only clue that I'm on the correct career path...

Earlier today, as I was driving through the Marin Headlands on my way home from the Marine Mammal Center, I drove past a meadow. In the center of the meadow I saw a group of turkey vultures very interested in something, so, like any good zoologist, I pulled over to find out what the fuss was about.

The vultures were chowing down on a dead (adult female) deer. There were about a half-dozen adults, 2 juveniles, and a raven. I had never seen a juvenile up close before, and these two looked different than my Sibley ID book indicates they should - Sibley's says the juveniles have an all-black or brown head, while these had a definite white band at the border where their feathers ended and bald head began.


I got a little too close while taking pictures and scared the birds off, so as long as they were gone, I went over to get a better look at the deer, and to see if there was an obvious cause of death. There was not, so I took a couple photos and left. On my way back to the car I found the (cleaned, sun-dried) bones of a bird which had been eaten, and grabbed the few non-broken bones I could find for my collection. Sadly, there was no skull around, and I am not able to identify species from a few feathers or skeletal bones, so I don't know what it was.

Poor Frederick, he's had to get used to me coming home with dead things.