"Reluctant Ralph meets Victoria the Turkey Vulture" is a story about a young osprey that decides not to migrate to South America with his family. He had stayed contentedly in his nest not learning any of the necessary skills of survival. A hurricane came and forced him to learn to fly. Because of this, Ralph decided to stay on the Outer Banks for the winter to catch up with what he had missed. His grandpa suggests he explore the wildlife refuge. There he meets Victoria, a turkey vulture. She is embarrassed to be a vulture and feels as though she is repulsive due to her looks and her odor. In an attempt to improve her self-esteem, she disguises herself as a bluebird, an owl, a pelican and finally, a mute swan. After failing at all of her attempts to transform herself, Ralph tries to be a true friend and keeps reminding her of all of her natural gifts.