Yesterday morning’s weather forecast for Box Elder County called for sunny skies so I decided to make the long drive up there, mostly in the dark, to see what birds I might find.
Unfortunately, the forecasters were wrong. Again.
The entire area was socked in with clouds for most of the morning, including when I found this lone Turkey Vulture on the side of a cliff. I decided to take photos anyway, especially when I noticed that this bird seemed to have an unusual amount of white around ‘his’ eye.
These “warts, also called papillae or tubercles, are actually a fairly typical part of their facial structure. They vary in size and number from one vulture to another, with older vultures tending to have more of them.
The exact reason for the presence of papillae isn’t definitely known but it’s thought that they may be related to the vulture’s diet of carrion and the potentially harmful bacteria it contains. Whatever the reason, this bird had more of them than usual.
He repeatedly tried to throw a pellet. I’ve photographed many bird species casting pellets but never a vulture, so I had high hopes that he’d be successful.
He wasn’t, not while I was there. But it wasn’t for lack of trying.
He roused just before taking off but in this low light I didn’t have enough shutter speed for takeoff or flight shots, so they were soft.
Later that morning I found this vulture in better light. Here the bird is exercising its wings in case it decided to take off with me so close. It very nearly did take off but at the last second it changed its mind, so I never did get vulture takeoff shots.
It was late in the morning before the sun finally came out from behind all those clouds. I’ve always enjoyed the combination of vultures and sunflowers in my photos, so I took some shots of this guy. But I had to do some creative cropping to highlight both the vulture and the sunflowers.
Speaking of creative cropping.
This adult and juvenile were feeding on a road killed rabbit. Vultures doing what vultures do.
I count at least 23 vultures in this photo. I could barely get all of them in frame, even with my ‘baby’ zoom lens cranked all the way down to only 100mm.
As you can see, it was a vulture kind of morning and I’m fine with that. Soon they’ll be gone for the winter and I’ll be missing having them around.
Ron
I always enjoy seeing vultures (we have turkey and black here in central Maryland). So I’m also fine with your “vulture kind of morning.” Great photos.
Thanks, Duane. I think that juvie in photo #8 looks quite a bit like a Black Vulture.
One of my favorite birds and one of my favorite flowers together in one creatively cropped shot! Iām sorry the weather wasnāt more cooperative and Iām very envious of your day with these delightful birds! Hope he was able to eventually cast that pellet! ššš
Marty, knowing how you feel about vultures, I was hoping you’d see this post.
Lovely images despite the overcast. I think they are starting to move south. I saw a big group catching the uplift from the valley flying high over the mouth of Emigration Canyon Saturday. I do wish those clouds had some moisture, so damn dry everywhere in Utah. Some of my neighbors water daily, I guess they are the faithful and still praying.
“I think they are starting to move south.”
Could be April, although it does seem a tad early.
Praying for rain – well, that’s what our wacko governor told us to do, He said the same thing a few years ago – lotta good that did. And will do.
Interesting about the warts around the eyes – thanks for explaining so quickly in the text. I was afraid it was going to be something bad like avian pox.
The poor guy trying to throw a pellet – that brought to mind watching the Albatross camera on Cornell’s site – the dad albatross feeding the chick, regurgitating over and over into the chick’s bill. Not easy!
Love the line-up of all the vultures on the fence. There was a big tree in my old NJ neighborhood that was a vulture roosting spot – you’d see huge gatherings of them – so cool!
” I was afraid it was going to be something bad like avian pox.”
I can see how you might think so, Carolyn.
This is the second time (at least) that I’ve watched a vulture try to throw a pellet, without success. Hopefully I’ll be able to document a vulture pellet one day.
Very interesting Ron and of course great photos as always. I have never seen one with that prominent a white growth around the eyes. Interesting how they live and work in large groups. We have an area here in the national forest area around our Granite Mountain where about 20 or more can be found in the mornings all warming up together getting ready to make their rounds.
Thanks, Everett. I’ve seen more than these 23 in a group before but not very often.
Appreciate the photos of the Turkey Vultures. Don’t know quite how to put it, but I always feel a odd mix of repulsion and admiration for these birds.
We got them year round here in So Cal. We see flyovers even in my San Fernando Valley urban neighborhood.
“I always feel a odd mix of repulsion and admiration for these birds.”
Michael, lots of folks feel that way about vultures. Understandably so, when you consider their lifestyle.
Iād love to be able to see TVs all the time. Iām guessing I might be too far south or too close to the ocean to see them in my part of SoCal.
Interesting birds and shots of them! Last shot of them all on the fence gave how they are usually in numbers tho I’ve only seen them in the air and not here. Like the vulture with the sunflowers. š
Weather here is a crap shoot tho it always has been. š Had a much needed gully washer night before last. It was getting pretty dry and watering from Belt Creek is pretty much done for the year. Temps unsettled with 90’s and then down to the 70’s for a few days.
Thanks, Judy. I don’t remember ever seeing vultures on the MT farm. But that’s to be expected – Sibley’s range map for them shows them to be “rare” in that part of Montana.
A vulture surrounded by sunflowers…. I’m glad that you were able to capture such an unusual combo ! Sorry you got that cloud cover in northern Utah– it was the same one which was supposed to bring
a little rain to bone-dry southern Utah, and DIDN’T…not one drop. I
guess even the weather “forecasters” are at a total loss these days…..
Kris, don’t get me going on weather forecasters. It’s so incredibly frustrating to drive for an hour and a half in the dark, only to find it socked in when I get there at sunrise. When it’s supposed to be sunny.