Don’t be surprised if there’s some down time for Feathered Photography in the fairly near future.
1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Yesterday morning I was finally able to get a few reasonably good shots of a Turkey Vulture, for the first time since they’ve migrated back to northern Utah this year. I’ve seen a few on previous trips to the area but this was the first one I’ve photographed while it was close. I caught ‘him’ in the classic pose of the species while he was thermoregulating in the morning sun. He didn’t vary much from this pose so after a few minutes with him I drove on down the road to look for more birds. But I was pleased to get a few photos and to see a few more vultures in an area where they’ve been common in past years.
I had trouble getting tack sharp shots all morning and if you look carefully it shows in this photo. But the deficiencies in this shot are probably easier to see in comparison to…
the first Turkey Vulture I ever photographed up close. In April of 2009 I found this cooperative vulture sunning itself in a clump of trees at Farmington Bay WMA. The vulture was almost too close but I had great light resulting in very good detail and I like the setting, particularly with his head centered between the two tree trunks.
At this point it’s looking like my primary bird lens may be overdue for some time in the shop. I’m having connectivity issues between my lens and my teleconverter (or between my lens and my camera when I’m not using the tc) which isn’t surprising after all these years of quickly swapping out my teleconverter in the field. That puts a lot of wear and tear on the gold electrical contacts. I can actually see significant wear on the lens contacts when I look closely at them.
I know it isn’t the contacts on the tc because I have two of them, one almost brand new and the other one recently repaired, and the problem occurs whichever one I’m using and if I’m not using a tc at all. The electrical contacts on the camera are highly unlikely to be the culprit because I have two 7D Mark II’s and the problem occurs whichever camera I’m using. Seems to me that pretty much narrows it down to the lens contacts which are clearly worn.
So don’t be surprised if there’s some down time for Feathered Photography sometime fairly soon to allow time for my contacts to be replaced. If it happens the down time may only be sporadic. After all, I do have another birding lens but it’s much smaller so it’s inadequate for birds in many situations.
Ron
Oh what a lovely photo, Ron! I love TUVUs…..everything about them…
I am anxiously awaiting their return up here in western Oregon….and as always, I love it when you chime in, Dan! Such amazing birds….
We had turkey vultures (and black vultures, too) every day year round in central New Jersey – often soaring in kettles of a dozen birds, or attending to roadkill, often in groups, too. Wonderful to watch, both ways.
But since moving to central Washington, I’ve seen very few, and wondered why. Didn’t think to look at the range map, duh! Now that I know they migrate out here in the West, hopefully we’ll get to see a few again. I’ve missed the peace that comes from watching them soar.
Thanks for your photos, Ron!
That’s right, we don’t see them all winter around here. Thanks, Carolyn.
First, I’m relieved that your downtime is not due to a serious health condition, though I know the health of your equipment is very important, too. Hope it will be quickly resolved (for everyone’s benefit)! 😬
Great photos, Ron — I’m a big fan of TUVUs, having become personally acquainted with Handsome, the education bird at Ojai Raptor Center. And we see them soaring here in Ventura Co. all the time, I really enjoy watching their free-wheeling flight. I’m with Marty — these and condors, with their dramatic black feathers and “nakey” heads (not to mention their clean-up role in our messy world), deserve greater appreciation.
Chris, it almost seems lonesome around here in winter without vultures to watch and enjoy, especially when they’re in flight.
As I have said before we have no vultures. We could do with some, and I would love to see them.
Huge, majestic and so very useful.
EC, I’m always fascinated by the similarities and differences between your Australian wildlife and ours.
Turkey Vultures have always been one of my favorite birds. As for being ugly – Remove the head feathers from a robin and see how attractive it now looks. Vultures are usually first into a carcass (watch Bald Eagles stand to one side and wait for the vultures to open it) and the bald head allows for little of the carcasses tissues to adhere to the head and what does adhere is easily dried in the sun and easily scratched away.
The sunning is important in the morning because Turkey Vultures lower their body temperature at night by as much as 6°C. There are actually two positions for sunning. The most common is with fully extended wings and back to the sun. The dark over the back absorbs the heat of the sun. A less common position is with the wings giving a heart-shaped configuration and facing into the sun, directly warming the body. By the time they have warmed, the air is also heated and thermals have begun to rise.
Good point about removing a robin’s head feathers Dan.
I’ve heard that spread wing pose when they’re facing the sun referred to as the Delta-wing posture.
Thx for the tutorial, Dan – I’m unfamiliar with them. 🙂 A bald headed Robin makes me giggle….. 😉
These birds are so ugly they are gorgeous! The french have an expression ‘jolie laide’ which means pretty ugly. It’s a compliment!
While you are getting your camera lens repaired you may want to schedule your lens repair. Your lens problems are becoming unavoidable … just sayin’ with peace and love.
That’s an interesting French phrase, Kathleen. They use “pretty” as a literal modifier or comparison while in that context we use it to mean “very or quite”.
I don’t understand your last paragraph. My “camera lens” and my “lens” are one and the same thing.
Your eye surgery 🙂
Lovely find. I thought I would see some in Arizona and Southern Utah. I only saw one soaring way out in the Kanab area.
As you know I also need to send mine in, I need to stop whining and just do it. I don’t have a back up so I truly do have separation anxiety. I have many photos to still process from my last trip and Haley and Nate just closed on a house that needs a ton of yard work, the yard was totally cleared so all they have is dirt, weeds and a few unwanted wild roses. I can keep busy doing other things and my mind off getting out for photos for a number of weeks. Maybe Monday I will set it up and make an appointment with Canon.
April, I can’t remember – do you use a 1.4 tc with your 7DII and 100-400? I just now set my 100-400 up that way but I haven’t used that combo for years. I remember it seemed pretty slow to AF.
Yes, slow AF. That is why I use the BB so much. I took the half press shutter button focus function off so the shutter button only releases the shutter. I use the back button to focus. It seems to cause less searching.
Back button AF is the only way to go in my opinion. That’s all I’ve used almost from day one.
Ron,
So you weren’t entirely skunked yesterday. I saw my first “light morph” Rough-legged Hawk on a power pole yesterday but I also had an unfortunate interaction with a land owner that I may email you about for advice.
Nice shot of the vulture. I never thought I would see one until FP educated me on the “bird opportunities” in my own extended backyard. Before FP the only vulture I had seen was in Arica eating carcasses of recent kills.
Best,
Stephen
I was pretty darned close to being skunked when it comes to good shots, Stephen.
I’d be interested in hearing your story. You have my email address.
The second photo shows such rich browns – who knew? Almost like a mink cape.
I had good opportunity to view 2 vultures up close several years ago. Two vultures were perching on Ponderosas & feeding in neighbor’s yard. We live in a neighborhood of large treed lots & neighbor had large blackberry thickets. The birds were around for about 4 days. We named them “Shred & Dread”. Really, really interesting to watch and to view up close. Not sure what was dead in neighbors yard & don’t know if he finally took care of it or if Shred & Dread picked the area clean. They definitely got our attention!
Thanks, Kathryn. I love those names for vultures, Shred and Dread.
For Everett– nope, not a “real mountain”– Mountain Club is a very old
populated area on the west side, and the snag is improbably located in a canyon
within it–ask an old-time local where Mountain Club is — there’s surprisingly
good wildlife -watching to be had within it !
Thanks Kris – will check it out
I posted my comments before reading any others. Just read Kris Eberhard’s comments and am not sure if where I most see them “thermoregulating” is where she indicates. I have photographed them in a few places, but over at Granite Mountain there are two old snag trees where they do their morning stretching and preparations. Maybe that is where she means? And there I have seen at least twenty and possibly more.
I hope the two of you get the location straightened out.
While I certainly think it may be time for an equipment checkup from the sounds of it, I will also add I find vultures really difficult to get tack sharp photographs of. I don’t know why, even when I am close to them, something about their feathers and head is hard for my camera to capture correctly. I love vultures and have a bunch roosting in the tall trees behind my house so I have opportunities to photograph them any time I want. That said, I am still trying to get perfect photos of them. Good luck on your camera repair journey. I just had to order my third teleconvertor because they keep falling apart with hard use.
Mary, my first 1.4 tc lasted for almost 13 years of heavy use before I had a problem with it. After a little tweak from Canon it’s now working well again.
I have often photographed Turkey Vultures here and I think they are beautiful birds. Look at that second photo and take away what you think of Vultures and just look at what an outstanding photo it is. The light is perfect and as you say the fact that the head is centered between those trees with that pale blue sky and the green leaves makes for a perfect photo.
Ron, you are always educating me in more that just photography. When I send photos of Vultures to a friend I always say something like, “She is stretching her wings and warming up before flying off to work.”
From now on I will be replacing warming up with thermoregulating in the morning sun. That word will now be fixed forever in my vocabulary and my friends will be impressed. ):
Everett, the purpose(s) of the behavior are actually a little more complicated than that. Here’s what Cornell has to say on the subject:
“Probably serves different functions under different conditions—i.e., heat loss when above thermal neutral zone, heat gain in morning, and wing-drying.”
In Prescott, AZ, there’s a very tall, all-silvered Ponderosa snag which is the
traditional roost for migrating turkey vultures–I’ve counted as many as 15 at
a time with their big dark “capes” spread to receive the morning sun–what a
sight ! For Everett, ask about the Mountain Club roost if you haven’t yet seen it.
That would be a fun sight to see, Kris. I hope Everett sees your suggestion.
Vultures are such amazing birds, and I agree with the earlier comments about how much they seem to enjoy their soaring and how fun they are to see roosting in large numbers. I’d like to recommend a wonderful little volume called Vulture that’s part of Reaktion Books’ Animal series.
Thanks for the recommendation, Cathy.
I happened to see a vulture sunning himself one morning In Va. I was a passenger in the car on I 81 so no chance for a picture but it was a stunning site to see!
Great pictures 👍🏻
Thanks, Theresa.
While not pretty to look at I do enjoy their soaring and roosting. As Terri mentioned their fly-ins for communal roosting at night is a site to behold as is their mornings of standing around with out stretched wings as if waiting for flight instructions as to areas for clean-up. I’ve learned to appreciate this sanitation squadron over the years.
Glad to know you appreciate them, Kathy.
Unfortunately, EVERYTHING needs maintenance…….😞 Better than having to replace the lens for sure! Amazing how beautiful an “ugly” bird can be under the right circumstances. 😀 Love the rich browns and the beautiful spread of the wings…….
Thanks, Judy. Between my lens, my neglected yard and garden and my aging body I’m overwhelmed by maintenance these days.
Funny (NOT) how that works – we were supposed to be exempt from that… 😉 Howling wind and moving dirt on 87 N today – “pick-up-stix” will be in order one more time…. 🙁
Turkey Vultures are definitely underrated! What a glorious bird! I love the contrast between their dark feathers and the adorable little nakey heads. Same thing with the condors.
Hope the lens overhaul does the trick. I didn’t know that photography was a “contact” sport. 😉
“I didn’t know that photography was a “contact” sport”
Marty, in some ways bird photography is the ultimate contact ‘sport’. When I’m using a teleconverter, which is most of the time, I think I once counted 36 gold electrical contacts on lens, tc and camera that have to work properly. If one or more of of them fails, poop happens.
Vultures are so much fun to watch!! I lived with them for 28 years in Texas, both turkey and black vultures. They seem to be the only bird that soars for the fun of it, whee!!! whee!! if they could talk, that’s all you’d hear, especially during updrafts and winds. Plus, at dusk, they are very communal, roosting together, if they’re lucky, on dead branches that can hold as many of them as possible. Imagine all those large wing spans in a forest with too many limbs!! You can hear their wings crashing into leaves and twigs and little branches. It’s a tricky maneuver when you’re a member of a large-winged community 🙂 I could watch them for an hour and chuckle the whole time 🙂
I agree Terri, they’re great fun in the situations you describe. I wish more folks liked them.
I should mention that I loved vultures when they weren’t roosting in trees above my cottage and deck in Texas. What a poop mess! I had to shoot off my air-BB-gun (it makes a scary sound) at dusk to warn them “not in my backyard!!” and they moved on to find another roosting place. Plenty of dead branches elsewhere, so I didn’t feel so bad about it all.