{"id":39449,"date":"2016-05-14T06:07:20","date_gmt":"2016-05-14T12:07:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=39449"},"modified":"2025-09-16T08:26:50","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T13:26:50","slug":"an-exceptionally-obliging-turkey-vulture-in-box-elder-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/05\/14\/an-exceptionally-obliging-turkey-vulture-in-box-elder-county\/","title":{"rendered":"An Exceptionally Obliging Turkey Vulture In Box Elder County"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CooperativeCooperative Turkey Vulture – Nikon D810, f9, 1\/800, ISO 320, -1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR\u00a0 with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

After getting up at o’dark hundred yesterday morning I drove up to northern Utah and on the way watched as darkness became twilight then twilight as it became dawn. I was heading north to find owls, Short-eared Owls in particular and Burrowing Owls too because they have begun to perch higher in the mornings instead of staying right at the edge of their burrows which makes them easier to locate.<\/p>\n

And I found them. Lots of them!<\/p>\n

So why am I posting a Turkey Vulture instead of owls?<\/p>\n

\"TurkeyTurkey Vulture portrait – Nikon D810, f9, 1\/1000, ISO 400, -1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR\u00a0 with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

Because I found an exceptionally obliging Turkey Vulture in Box Elder County warming up in the morning sun. It wasn’t skittish, it wasn’t nervous, the light on it was wonderful and then there is my belief that vultures are often overlooked. So this vulture is show-cased on my post this morning.<\/p>\n

The owls will have to wait.<\/p>\n

\"TurkeyTurkey Vulture warming in the sun – Nikon D810, f11, 1\/500, ISO 400, -1.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR\u00a0 with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

After about 5 minutes it seemed that the Turkey Vulture wasn’t going to do much so I headed down the road and hoped that the vulture would be there when I came back up the road and that it would be doing some thing interesting.<\/p>\n

\"TurkeyTurkey Vulture rousing – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 400, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR\u00a0 with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

When I came back to the same location almost an hour later the Turkey Vulture was still there plus the light was good so I stopped and took many more images of the vulture. The vulture seemed far more active and I photographed it as it roused.<\/p>\n

\"FluffyFluffy Turkey Vulture – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 400, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR\u00a0 with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

And settled its feathers back into place.<\/p>\n

\"TurkeyTurkey Vulture wing stretch – Nikon D810, f9, 1\/640, ISO 250, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR\u00a0 with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

Then it started to stretch one wing out to the side as it also fanned its tail.<\/p>\n

\"TurkeyTurkey Vulture stretching one wing – Nikon D810, f9, 1\/640, ISO 250, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR\u00a0 with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

Until its right wing was fully extended showing the lightness of the underside of its primaries and secondaries. I laughed to myself because it almost looked like the vulture was directing traffic in this pose.<\/p>\n

\"PoopingPooping Turkey Vulture – Nikon D810, f9, 1\/640, ISO 250, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR\u00a0 with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

And then it pooped all over the ground next to the fence post it was perched on.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult Turkey Vulture side view – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 250, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR\u00a0 with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

And gave me a great view of its side for a bit.<\/p>\n

\"TurkeyTurkey Vulture over the shoulder look – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 250, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR\u00a0 with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

Plus an over the shoulder look at me. I thought the vulture might preen at this point.<\/p>\n

\"TurkeyTurkey Vulture with raised wings – Nikon D810, f9, 1\/400, ISO 250, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR\u00a0 with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

But it turned towards me and raised both of it wings over its body bilaterally which showed the warm brown plumage of the scapulars and coverts.<\/p>\n

\"TurkeyTurkey Vulture on one foot – Nikon D810, f8, 1\/800, ISO 400, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR\u00a0 with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

After that great wing lift it started to scratch its head with its foot. While it scratched it had the nictitating membrane overs its eye the whole time.<\/p>\n

\"TurkeyTurkey Vulture wing lift – Nikon D810, f8, 1\/640, ISO 400, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR\u00a0 with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

And finally before it took flight it turned sideways and gave me another nice series of images of a bilateral wing lift. When it did this I should have removed my teleconverter because when it lifted off I clipped every one of the images and was disappointed in myself.<\/p>\n

I’ve never had a Turkey Vulture be this obliging before. I believe it didn’t mind the woman with the one glass eye watching it get ready for its day.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to view more of my Turkey Vulture photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I found an exceptionally obliging Turkey Vulture in Box Elder County warming up in the morning sun.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":156185,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,1148,1315,26],"tags":[4004,2663,4322,4142,8303,4098,7619,898,3035,4946,4104,3917,4046,4394,153,3199,4826,3964,6987,6285,2443,4618,4617,5146,4135,8917],"class_list":["post-39449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-turkey-vultures","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-cathartes-aura","tag-close-up","tag-cooperative","tag-desert","tag-fanned","tag-fence-post","tag-fluffy","tag-obliging","tag-perched","tag-pooping","tag-portrait","tag-post","tag-raptors","tag-rousing","tag-stretch","tag-stretching","tag-sun","tag-tail","tag-turkey-vulture","tag-vulture","tag-vultures","tag-warming","tag-wing-lift","tag-wooden-post"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/turkey-vulture-wing-stretch-mia-mcpherson-9785.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-agh","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":67041,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/03\/15\/memories-of-photographing-a-very-cooperative-turkey-vulture\/","url_meta":{"origin":39449,"position":0},"title":"Memories Of Photographing A Very Cooperative Turkey Vulture","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 15, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The memories of photographing this Turkey Vulture that spring morning have made me feel excited because these vultures are heading north now and soon I will have them in my viewfinder again.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Turkey Vulture stretching its wing, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/turkey-vulture-wing-stretch-mia-mcpherson-9788.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/turkey-vulture-wing-stretch-mia-mcpherson-9788.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/turkey-vulture-wing-stretch-mia-mcpherson-9788.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/turkey-vulture-wing-stretch-mia-mcpherson-9788.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":37907,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/04\/05\/more-owls-turkey-vultures-plus-a-third-year-bald-eagle\/","url_meta":{"origin":39449,"position":1},"title":"More Owls, Turkey Vultures Plus A Third Year Bald Eagle","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 5, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I mentioned in my post about Short-eared Owls yesterday that I saw Burrowing Owls, Turkey Vultures and a third year Bald Eagle juvenile in northern Utah so I thought I would share a few more images form the northern Utah excursion.","rel":"","context":"In "Bald Eagles"","block_context":{"text":"Bald Eagles","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/diurnal-raptors\/bald-eagle\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Third year Bald Eagle in Box Elder County, Utah. 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