A Kettle, Committee and Wake of Turkey Vultures
We pull up to park for our Sunday morning walk near the airport in our small town. As we exit the vehicle a group of large birds rustle and fly away in all directions. Luckily I have my camera at the ready and start snapping pictures. Here are the results.
A Kettle of Turkey Vultures
Click images for larger view
Yes, according to wikipedia a group of Turkey Vultures in flight is a kettle.
A group on the ground or in a tree is a committee.
And a group on the ground feeding is a wake. Quite appropriate don't you think?😀
After getting a few shots of the birds flying away I return my attention toward where the committee had been gathered when we arrived. The odor in the air tells me that they were in fact feeding on some dead animal and therefore were a wake of Turkey Vultures.
Although they continued to fly around the area...
they never formed back up in a wake to feed.
Perhaps they are finished or I scared them off?
Above me several birds continue to circle.
Look for white feathers along the back edge of each wing to determine if it’s a turkey vulture in the air.
Source
I spin around trying to capture as many close shots as I can.
Nearly shooting into the sun in my pursuit of the shot. 😀
And finally I turn to see part of the committee in a tree.
Can one be a committee?
Click images for larger view
How about two?
Please feel free to make comments or ask me any questions about this post.
Photos taken by me, @oldmans, with a Nikon D3300 and some Lightroom post processing.
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Excellent photos of this kettle, committee, Wake! I love the shot of them in the tree and the photos of them in flight are quite incredible. Thanks for posting this to the #featheredfriends community!
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Thank you! Luckily I brought my camera along. We've walked there a lot and I thought I had pretty much documented that area pretty well but you never know. I ended up getting some unique shots and learning a lot more about turkey vultures then I ever expected. 😀
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I found the picture with the fence rail and stop sign and two turkey vultures quite the image. I was severely confused at what i saw the first time, even with a full image view I was still confused. The Vulture in the foreground of the shot was easily seen and recognized as such. However the one along the fence rail for me took some time to see, all I could see at first, and on subsequent views was a couple of profile faces looking to the left. I really had to look to see the Vulture, the way its wings were, it was as if it was carrying a couple of souls away.
The first time I saw that image on the computer I had to do a double take also. I thought I saw something walking to the left without a body back by the stop sign. I do see the faces now in the wings. Nice observation. 👍 I never really know what I've captured until I get home and load the pictures on to the computer. It's like opening a present. 😃
One of the things that make it such a nice hobby for me, the unexpected little captures that were missed, or how the camera and the processing of the pictures add little oddities.
Very true. 👍
Excellent! Stunning pictures, my friend! I never came so close to any vulture species in my life except here via your post. Thank you :D
Thank you! Same for me, and the fact that there were 20 or 30 of these giant birds flying around made it even more surreal.
I Imagine a scene like movie was created :D
Have a good day!
You too, my friend. 😀
the one with the STOP sign and the one in which they are on an old tree - love these two pictures! well done!
Thank you! Very much appreciated. Yeah there is something symbolic about vultures in a dead tree. 😀