Last week I spotted this Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) pacing about in an area adjacent to a small stream at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I don’t know if there were fish remains nearby or if the vulture was simply on its way to get a drink of water.
It looked to me like the vulture was in a contemplative mood, totally lost in its thoughts as it moved slowly forward. Of course, I may have been merely projecting on the vulture my mood at that moment—nature often has a soothing, calming effect on me and my long walks with my camera are a wonderful time for reflection.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Nice Mike! Photographing Nature is definitely calming!
You’ve captured the sense of movement and the posture perfectly.
Thanks, Laura. I think the two of us share a preference for dynamic portraits over static ones–it is great when I can manage to capture images of my subjects doing something more exciting than sitting still. 🙂
I wonder what it was contemplating.
The meaning of life? New Year’s resolutions? Its next meal? Perhaps the vulture was merely daydreaming, putting its mind in neutral for a few moments. 🙂