Hi, I am Matthieu, a French ESC volunteer from BIOM and I just worked for a few weeks in Beli Visitor Centre. For those who’ve never been there, you can see three exhibitions about Cres and the griffon vultures. There is also an aviary outside, where the colleagues take care of all the vultures which needed to be rescued.

During my stay in Beli, I was living in the centre. From upstairs I had a privileged view of the aviary and the vultures. Last week, while I was in my room, I received a call from one colleague, telling me that a vulture had been seen flying near the aviary. I looked out the window and indeed the vulture was there… sitting above the roof of the aviary!

My colleagues told me that this is not a juvenile bird, because its feathers have a lighter color and its irises are light brown and not dark. They also told me that’s is not so unusual to see a vulture landing on the aviary at this time of the year. It’s maybe not unusual, but it’s always impressive to see such a big bird from so close!