Black Vulture in November

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Black Vulture in November

November 16, 2015 by Mike Powell

My eyes are unavoidably drawn to large birds in the sky. For me, it doesn’t really matter if it is a hawk, an osprey, or an eagle or, in this case, “only” a Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) that I saw last week at Huntley Meadows Park. They are all impressive birds.

This bird was one of four Black Vultures that were circling overhead as I wandered through a remote area of my favorite marshland park. I love to watch these vultures as they soar through the sky searching for the scent of something dead to eat.

Where I live, we have both Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures. Most of the time, they are easy to tell apart, because the white patterns on the wings are different and their heads have different colors. As you can see in the photos, the Black Vulture has a black head, whereas the Turkey Vulture has a red head.

When vultures are circling around me like this, I follow the advice that was given to me several years ago and make sure I move from time to time. I wouldn’t want one of the vultures to think that I was dead.

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife | Tagged Alexandria VA, birds in flight, Black Vulture, Canon 50D, Coragyps atratus, Huntley Meadows Park, Tamron 150-600mm telephoto, vulture | 9 Comments

9 Responses

on November 16, 2015 at 7:46 am | Reply Lyle Krahn

Good to hear you’re still moving.
- on November 16, 2015 at 8:16 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I think you might be the source of that original advice, Lyle. It has served me well.
on November 16, 2015 at 11:01 am | Reply Charlie@Seattletrekker.com

Sound advice, to keep moving…I to love to watch them soar through the sky’s.
- on November 17, 2015 at 5:00 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Charlie. Vultures have such wide wingspan and seem to soar for hours on end.
on November 16, 2015 at 12:19 pm | Reply Black Vulture in November | Gaia Gazette

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on November 17, 2015 at 5:07 am | Reply New Hampshire Garden Solutions

I’ve seen lots more soaring birds this summer but I don’t have a lens that will let me get close enough to see what they are like yours does. I’m assuming they’re some type of vulture.
- on November 18, 2015 at 4:51 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  My guess is that they are Turkey Vultures, but I have been pleasantly surprised a couple of times when a bird I assumed to be a vulture turned out to be an eagle.
on November 21, 2015 at 10:03 pm | Reply circadianreflections

They cast a big shadow so catch your eye even when not looking. I’m you too are tuned into shadows passing from overhead. Before I started Birding I never noticed that! Very nice in flight images; capturing the wings in different position.
- on November 22, 2015 at 5:57 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks so much. Indeed, the shadows are often my fist clue that they are present.