Only one carrion allowed

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Only one carrion allowed

January 28, 2020 by Mike Powell

Yesterday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge I captured some images of a Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura), providing a pretext for me to repeat a joke I recently came across—A vulture boards a plane carrying two dead raccoons. The flight attendant says, “I am sorry, sir, but we only allow each passenger one carrion.” I confess that I am addicted to bad jokes, especially puns and word plays, and I have been dying to photograph a vulture ever since I read that joke.

I initially spotted the vulture while it was flying and captured several shots, shown below, as it was landing in a tree. Generally I prefer action shots like those ones and I do like the dynamic quality of those poses. In this case, however, I really like the formal, portrait-like pose the vulture assumed as I was taking the first shot below. Somehow, at least in my mind, it lends a kind of dignity and beauty to this bird that most people do not see because they cannot get past the fact that vultures feed on carrion.

Posted in Birds, Humor, Nature, wildlife, Winter | Tagged Canon 50D, carrion, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, turkey vulture, turkey vulture portrait, vulture, Woodbridge VA | 15 Comments

15 Responses

on January 28, 2020 at 8:02 am | Reply Reed Andariese

Very Nice Mike! And thanks for the joke!
- on January 28, 2020 at 8:54 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Reed. I couldn’t help myself with the joke. 🙂
on January 28, 2020 at 8:10 am | Reply joyroses13

LOL at the joke as I shake my head! 🙂 I have friends who love puns, so will have to remember this one. Great pics too, they are such large birds!
- on January 28, 2020 at 8:58 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. Vultures are amazing birds–they need a PR firm to help improve their image.
  - on January 28, 2020 at 9:15 am joyroses13
    
    You are welcome and Ha Ha! 🙂
on January 28, 2020 at 11:54 am | Reply Eliza Waters

Eagles are big carrion eaters, but they escape the stigma for some reason. Maybe it is the vulture’s ruddy, nearly featherless heads? Regardless, they provide an invaluable service cleaning up roadkill, etc.
Enjoyed the joke – thanks!
- on January 28, 2020 at 1:55 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Eliza. I am not sure why vultures have the bad reputation–maybe it is in part because of the way they circle round and round dead things.
on January 28, 2020 at 5:13 pm | Reply Ted Jennings - TPJ Photography

Up north we had the DOT to keep roads ‘clean’. In the Lowcountry we have these…and many. Very underrated and magnificent in the air.
on January 28, 2020 at 8:22 pm | Reply A Curious Introvert

Enjoyed the joke and the great portrait-like pose!🙂
- on January 28, 2020 at 8:37 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I am glad to see that I am not the only one with a slightly warped sense of humor. 🙂
on January 29, 2020 at 6:20 am | Reply mitzybricker

Great photos. Thank The Lord they feed on carrion! Our world would be a stinky mess without them. Bald eagles eat carrion as well.

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- on January 29, 2020 at 8:26 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. Vultures (and quite a few other creatures) definitely play a useful role in feeding on dead animals. Most of us also eat dead animals, though it comes more neatly packaged for us than for the vultures.
  - on January 30, 2020 at 5:06 pm mitzybricker
    
    Haha! Well, it would be hard to eat them alive! 🙂
on January 29, 2020 at 10:00 am | Reply Dan Antion

I love bad jokes as well, Mike. I started laughing when I saw the title.
- on January 29, 2020 at 10:31 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I had a feeling you would appreciate the humor, Dan. This was the case of a bad joke that I had to keep in reserve until I could photograph a vulture.