Turkey vulture - maybe not a turkey afterall.

Turkey vulture sitting on a fence post on a farm near Winfield, BC.

OK, I thought I had seen everything.  However, coming across a vulture sitting atop a fence post was not something to be expected.  Maybe the bird knew something, perhaps its sense of smell told its avian brain that food would soon be available, or maybe it just took the "turkey" part of its name a little too seriously.

To give you an idea how unusual this is, I photographed it yesterday and posted it on a Facebook group I belong to and it got 63 likes in just a few hours.  For me, that's a lot.  It's unusual not only because of the pretty pose it displayed, it's also because I was close to it.  The above frame is almost fully what I got in my viewfinder.  I can make a glorious 16x20 print from it, not that I want such an image hanging in my front room looking down at me waiting for Death to visit.  It turns out that turkey vultures and the Grim Reaper are close friends.

I photographed a turkey vulture soaring above me later on that morning.  I have to say, it was the most beat-up bird I have ever seen with many primaries missing.  Was it the same one?  I doubt it; I often see them in groups and I don't doubt there was more than one hanging around.  Wouldn't it be something to photograph a pair of them sharing posts?  Facebook friends, although a little early for Thanksgiving.

Turkey vulture soaring above me.  Notice the bent and missing primaries.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericpsix.com

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