Little Hoppers and Big Buzzards/Vultures.

First let me ask you if any of you have ever seen these little grass-hoppers that have invaded my wife's garden?  I can find no damage left by them and they don't seem to eating anything, but they are there:

Some are walking along the onion plants.

Oh yes, there are a lot more than just a couple.  If you look close, you can see three of them in this next picture.

They sure can jump.  When I got too close to any of them, it will jump a couple of feet or more.  That is many, many times its body length.  For their size, they are quite athletic.

I spotted one on the retaining poles and got a real good picture of it.  It shows the red stripe down its back, now ain't they cute?

When I was at the flea market today, I was starting to get worried.  I looked up and there was a big flock of buzzards or vultures or what ever you call them.

I was afraid that they were after me. . .

I am wondering it they are migrating north for the summer?  I would have thought that they would have done that earlier in the year.  They look so graceful soaring high in the sky, but then they have a messy, dirty job to do; keeping up with the disposal of anything that died in their territory.

OK, so what is the difference between Buzzards and Vultures?  Vultures are the big birds that feast on the dead.  They do not migrate like the Buzzards.  Buzzards?  Well, that word has different meanings to different people.  I always thought that buzzards and vultures were the same thing, but they are not.  Buzzards are birds like the chicken hawks, Red tailed hawks, and Cooper's hawk.  They are often mistaken for hawks.  Dang, I didn't know that and something else I didn't know is that they have different eating habits.  Vultures rarely eat in a messy way whereas buzzards are known to get really dirty and messy.  So, if someone calls you a vulture, just say thank you and call that person an old buzzard and have a great day, you hear?