Kind of a fun picture I captured last week that was a very fun encounter. I was taking my daughter to ballet when we spotted a half dozen Turkey Vultures flying over and sitting in a vacant field. Thankfully I had my camera with me as usual so after I dropped her off, I returned and spent an hour photographing them.
They were splitting time between two rabbit carcasses, fending off the harassment of Magpies that wanted something to eat as well. I shot a ridiculous number of pictures of these guys as they were more than willing to let me get quite close while they focused on their meal.
Yes, I know Turkey Vultures are ugly but I think they are cool as heck. You will often spot them soaring high in the sky in large groups – appropriately called a ‘wake’ – looking for their next meal. They feed on carrion they find lying around dead like rabbits, prairie dogs and such and are believed to be able to smell the dead animals up to a mile away. Their role of garbage man helps to prevent the spread of disease from the carcasses.
