Vulture, Raven, or Buzzard? What Is It Anyway?

[spicedogs]

There are these creepy creatures around my neighborhood. I was under the impression that they were vultures. Hubby told me that they couldn't be vultures, as vultures don't live in the east, only in the west. He said that they were ravens. It made sense, after all Edgar Allan Poe, who lived not far from us, wrote about the raven in his poem, The Raven.

A few weeks ago, I took my first set of photos of these creatures. That shot actually won an award in my camera club photo contest, and the judge called them buzzards.

Today, I went out and took more pictures. I found them nesting on a tree next to my neighbor’s house. As she and I are not in good terms (due to my son parking in front of her window and she was sick and tired of looking at this Lexus, our relationship deteriorated. You can read about it here: http://spicedogs.livejournal.com/307597.html), I tried not to get too close to her house. But once again, the desire for the photo overcame the desire not to make waves. Luckily, she didn’t say anything about my trespassing her property. Maybe she thought that I was taking pictures to have the human society come and take the birds away from our yards. Anyway, as I approached her back yard, I found out that the birds were in another property, in another street, directly behind our house. So I drove there and approached the birds as close as they would let me. Once I came home and converted the RAW pictures into JPG, I found that, indeed, they are vultures, or buzzards.







Vulture flapping its wings in the tree.







This is an example of how many they were. Just multiply them 5 or 6 times.














More pictures of the vultures can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/esbaker/sets/72157610399717701/




And now, for something nicer looking:







 

Comments

[katje0711.livejournal.com]

As ugly as vultures are, those are wonderful pics!

[spicedogs.livejournal.com]

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[mr-henry-gale.livejournal.com]

Ravens, to me, are beautiful, dark little creatures - I have a highly unrealistic romantic image of them, thanks to Poe. But vultures... not quite. Heh.

Of course, your photography is superb, as usual.

[spicedogs.livejournal.com]

Yes, these birds are not the most beautiful creatures on earth. Thank you for your compliment.

[shalimar77777.livejournal.com]

Amazing pics!

Altho, it is a bit scary that there are vultures hanging around. I hope your neighbor doesn't have a sick pet!

[spicedogs.livejournal.com]

I am worried about those birds. My Basil is 12+ years old. Vultures only attack the infirm and old. We do have a lot of wild rabbits. Maybe they feats on them.

[greenleaf-y.livejournal.com]

Vultures's pics is goo-o-od ;)) Hmmm... Really, it's interesting for me why these birds in your region? I love your dog:)

[spicedogs.livejournal.com]

Vultures eat dead animals and live in moderate climate. We have moderate climate.

[polvodestrella.livejournal.com]

When I see these pictures, the first movie that comes to my mind is 'the birds' *shivers and runs away to hide*

[spicedogs.livejournal.com]

I am petrified of birds and I never saw the movie, but I've seen the trailers. LOL

[miss-sophia.livejournal.com]

Axe murderer! In the neighborhood! I'm telling you!

When your neighborhood is on the evening news, you can call me to say I was right. And I will be gracious. :)