Vulture lament about the bird challenge

06/10/2005 06:16:53 PM · #1

Vultures get a bad rap. They are highly social, intelligient animals that thoughtfully keep our rural roads and highways clear of putrid, rotting flesh. In the early morning hours they gather in groups to chat and sun themselves and warm up before taking flight for a hard day of scavenging dead carcasses.

After around 300 frames taken over about 10 hours time on several trips these were among the best shots I got of those gatherings. They suck! I don't think I'll waste more time post-processing anymore:

...

I could get as close as about 10 feet sometimes before they'd get skittish and fly away which should be plenty close to get some great shots. But I have camera limitations. You need the right equipment sometimes and I didn't have it for what I wanted, dangit!

So I am not going to enter the bird challenge. I don't like polluting a challenge with poor imagery. I suppose I could find birds caged in a zoo or around a bird feeder or in a city park, but that just isn't as much fun.

Sigma 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical HF for Pentax

06/10/2005 06:49:44 PM · #2

Rofl...
I shot this on the 5th -
The day before the challenge was announced

I have not been able to get any thing close enough to enter

Jewellian

Pentax *ist DL

06/10/2005 06:52:15 PM · #3

Dinnertime. I took this about 2 weeks ago at my local Zoo. I agree, vultures are actually pretty birds... as long as they're not eating.....

06/10/2005 06:56:47 PM · #4

Originally posted by nomad469:

Rofl...
I shot this on the 5th -
The day before the challenge was announced

I have not been able to get any thing close enough to enter

Dave... yeah... I got a number of vulture shots similar to that. All we gotta do is figure out how to get clear, detailed shots. LOL.

The place where I took mine is a little isolated during the week and you can find plenty of vultures there every morning. Unfortunately, I just can't get a decent picture. It is a little frustrating when there is so much opportunity. :)

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX Aspherical DF for Nikon

06/10/2005 06:58:20 PM · #5

I shot a 1gig card full that I still need to go through .... maybe I can find something that I work with

Apple iPhone

06/10/2005 07:00:37 PM · #6

Discussing what pics you're entering (shouldnt happen at all) or putting outtakes before the challenge starts isnt right...

06/10/2005 07:01:38 PM · #7

Originally posted by Jewellian:

Dinnertime. I took this about 2 weeks ago at my local Zoo. I agree, vultures are actually pretty birds... as long as they're not eating.....

I don't think they are really that pretty, but what I find fascinating is that vultures are really gentle, social birds and undeserving of their horror-movie reputation.

I noticed that while some birds are sunning themselves with wings spread wide others are standing watch to let them know if nosey photographers are in the area while everyone hangs close together and seem friendly to each other.

Message edited by author 2005-06-10 19:04:05.

06/10/2005 07:03:26 PM · #8

Originally posted by nomad469:

I shot a 1gig card full that I still need to go through .... maybe I can find something that I work with

Same / similar here too, except I have an 8MB card to go through.

Bet I get through mine first. Ready....Set....GO!
.
.
.
.
.
Done. Phew!
They all sucked.

Dumping the card and getting ready to go take 8 more pics.

06/10/2005 07:35:47 PM · #9

Here are several reasons to have a vulture as a pet:

1-Vultures urinate directly on their own legs for evaporative cooling and the strong acids kills putrifying bateria that accumulate there.

2-As a defense mechanism against predators, such as camera carrying photographers, vultures vomit lumps of foul-smelling semi-digested meat.

3-A vulture's cute, featherless head allows them to stick it entirely inside dead and rotting carcasses without accumulating unwanted flesh and bacteria while eating.

4-Vultures do not construct a traditional "nest" but just scratch out an indentation in the soil.

These and other fascinating vulture facts can be found here:
//www.vulturesociety.homestead.com/

06/10/2005 07:37:39 PM · #10

Almost sounds like my ex-mother in law.

Hey - it's Friday - whaddya expect?

Art Roflmao

Canon EOS-6D Mark II

06/10/2005 07:41:46 PM · #11

I am surprised to find I have so much in common...

Originally posted by stdavidson:

1-Vultures urinate directly on their own legs for evaporative cooling and the strong acids kills putrifying bateria that accumulate there.

OMG! I do the same thing! But only in the hot summer.

Originally posted by stdavidson:

2-As a defense mechanism against predators, such as camera carrying photographers, vultures vomit lumps of foul-smelling semi-digested meat.

For me it's just hard liquor.

Originally posted by stdavidson:

3-A vulture's cute, featherless head allows them to stick it entirely inside dead and rotting carcasses without accumulating unwanted flesh and bacteria while eating.

I have a cute, featherless head also!

Originally posted by stdavidson:

4-Vultures do not construct a traditional "nest" but just scratch out an indentation in the soil.

Hmmm, I have a house.

Interesting stuff though!

06/10/2005 07:42:41 PM · #12

Originally posted by BradP:

Almost sounds like my ex-mother in law.

Hey - it's Friday - whaddya expect?

The bad news, Brad, is that just like in the vulture kingdom there is no such thing as an ex mother-in-law. Even after the divorce an in-law is still an in-law.

Vultures get around this problem by eating the mother in laws. It is the only known situation where vultures eat their meals while still alive.

06/10/2005 07:43:56 PM · #13

...off to search ebay for a slightly used Vulture.
:)

Imagineer

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

06/10/2005 07:48:23 PM · #14

Thanks Steve - fascinating facts! Makes me even more fond of Baldrick than I was before.

06/10/2005 07:49:56 PM · #15

Originally posted by kpriest:

I am surprised to find I have so much in common...
Originally posted by stdavidson:
1-Vultures urinate directly on their own legs for evaporative cooling and the strong acids kills putrifying bateria that accumulate there.

OMG! I do the same thing! But only in the hot summer.

Originally posted by stdavidson:
2-As a defense mechanism against predators, such as camera carrying photographers, vultures vomit lumps of foul-smelling semi-digested meat.

For me it's just hard liquor.

Originally posted by stdavidson:
3-A vulture's cute, featherless head allows them to stick it entirely inside dead and rotting carcasses without accumulating unwanted flesh and bacteria while eating.

I have a cute, featherless head also!

Originally posted by stdavidson:
4-Vultures do not construct a traditional "nest" but just scratch out an indentation in the soil.

Hmmm, I have a house.

Interesting stuff though!

Humans have a lot more in common with vultures than I thought! LOL

06/10/2005 07:54:15 PM · #16

Originally posted by stdavidson:

Humans have a lot more in common with vultures than I thought! LOL

Ken's not human though.

06/10/2005 07:55:00 PM · #17

Originally posted by di53:

Discussing what pics you're entering (shouldnt happen at all) or putting outtakes before the challenge starts isnt right...

Hmmmm... who said that I was working on them for the challenge ;)

I only say one thing ... I will enter da bird !

06/10/2005 07:55:58 PM · #18

Originally posted by BradP:

Originally posted by nomad469:
I shot a 1gig card full that I still need to go through .... maybe I can find something that I work with

Same / similar here too, except I have an 8MB card to go through.

Bet I get through mine first. Ready....Set....GO!
.
.
I bet that you will have something good before I do !
.
.
Done. Phew!
They all sucked.

Dumping the card and getting ready to go take 8 more pics.

06/10/2005 08:16:55 PM · #19

Originally posted by Imagineer:

Thanks Steve - fascinating facts! Makes me even more fond of Baldrick than I was before.

I think for this challenge you should get him urinating on his leg. That is a sure fire ribbon winner!

06/10/2005 08:20:16 PM · #20

Originally posted by di53:

Discussing what pics you're entering (shouldnt happen at all) or putting outtakes before the challenge starts isnt right...

Sorry... I don't mean to offend anyone's concept of the purity of the challenge...
But I'm not even entering this one and, besides, I wasn't even the first to post a bird "outtake". :)

You can think of mine as a guide what NOT to do.

If your bird pictures aren't better than mine then I wouldn't bother entering. There have been terrific bird pictures entered in challenges lately and there are sure to be some great ones in this challenge.

Message edited by author 2005-06-10 20:23:37.

sfalice

Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

06/10/2005 08:48:08 PM · #21

Originally posted by stdavidson:

So I am not going to enter the bird challenge. I don't like polluting a challenge with poor imagery.

Aww, come on, stdavidson, you've still got time. Go find one of those condors you shoot so well. Better than a vulture! More than a vulture! Or, a vulture on steroids, maybe.

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical IF for Canon

06/10/2005 08:52:12 PM · #22

Originally posted by sfalice:

Originally posted by stdavidson:

So I am not going to enter the bird challenge. I don't like polluting a challenge with poor imagery.

Aww, come on, stdavidson, you've still got time. Go find one of those condors you shoot so well. Better than a vulture! More than a vulture! Or, a vulture on steroids, maybe.

I took my condor pictures up at a place in the middle of nowhere called Navajo Bridge which is near the Utah/AZ border.

I'd be thrilled to go back up and take more pictures of California Condors. THAT would be fun!

Hey, Alice, gather up your lenses and come on over to PHX and I guarantee we could get you some competative vulture images for the challenge by Sunday night.

Message edited by author 2005-06-10 20:56:44.

sfalice

Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

06/10/2005 09:13:33 PM · #23

Originally posted by stdavidson:

Originally posted by sfalice:

Originally posted by stdavidson:

Hey, Alice, gather up your lenses and come on over to PHX and I guarantee we could get you some competative vulture images for the challenge by Sunday night.

Ohhh, I'm sorely tempted!

(Uh, should I confess we have vultures in San Francisco, just not very photogenic ones )

;>)

sher

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

06/10/2005 09:40:17 PM · #24