I must admit, the moment our rental hit the highway from the airport, I was already counting the bazillion Black and Turkey Vultures across every inch of the Florida landscape. Having never seen Blacks until this trip, I was thrilled by their immense size and ever buoyant kite-like flight. Here in CNY, I've witnessed kettles of up to 30 Turkey Vultures circling on their V-shaped wings. But Myakka Lake State Park was another story! From the moment we entered the main park road, we saw what had to be the single largest gathering of soaring vultures ever witnessed by humans! They were tilting and kiting, circling and floating all around the inlet of the lake at the main office and boat launch site. There had to be over 250 vultures circling around a pond no bigger than a football field! And that didn't take into consideration the ones perched! I never saw anything like it, but would love to see it again, as I am one of those folks who think vultures are victims of a bum rap simply because of their diet and let's face it....they're not the purtiest bird in the world! But aside from a soaring eagle, there is nothing any more graceful in flight! That's why I wanted to turn their image here into a work of art. An homage to the lowly Turkey Vulture!