{"id":67041,"date":"2020-03-15T05:34:46","date_gmt":"2020-03-15T11:34:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=67041"},"modified":"2025-09-16T14:01:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T19:01:08","slug":"memories-of-photographing-a-very-cooperative-turkey-vulture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/03\/15\/memories-of-photographing-a-very-cooperative-turkey-vulture\/","title":{"rendered":"Memories Of Photographing A Very Cooperative Turkey Vulture"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"RousingRousing Turkey Vulture adult \u2013 Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 400, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

Back in May of 2016 I photographed a very cooperative Turkey Vulture<\/span><\/a> early in the morning in Box Elder County<\/span><\/a> in northern Utah. I’d drive up to that general area to look for Burrowing and Short-eared Owls and I found them plus I also found this adult Turkey Vulture. I couldn’t drive past it without taking photos because I feel that this species is overlooked quite often by some bird photographers and people in general.<\/p>\n

It was a beautiful, warm spring morning and I had gotten up at o’dark hundred and started my drive north with a travel mug of coffee, tunes playing on my stereo, and stars twinkling in the sky overhead. The drive north relaxed me and as I drove the sky began to lighten and I had high hopes for photographing my target birds and any others I might find.<\/p>\n

When I first stopped by this Turkey Vulture it wasn’t doing much so I drove down the road and hoped it would still be there when I returned. When I turned back towards the north the vulture was still there and it actually became a bit more active.<\/p>\n

It roused and shook its feathers, it pooped and turned to face the rising sun. The hillside behind the bird was dotted with yellow wildflowers which added a pop of color and interest to the out of focus background.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult Turkey Vulture stretching its wing \u2013 Nikon D810, f9, 1\/640, ISO 250, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

I had pulled well off of the road so I wouldn’t have to worry about traffic coming up on me which meant that I could take my time photographing this adult Turkey Vulture at the beginning of its day. It was quiet, peaceful and I felt stress free. The vulture stretched its right wing way out and fanned its tail at the same time while looking directly towards me. After I took this frame the vulture also lifted its wings over its back bilaterally twice before it lifted off and finally flew away.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good. Birds… make it better.<\/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":"

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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":156340,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,1148,1315,26],"tags":[4004,4322,8303,898,9326,4104,8300,3199,4502,165,4826,3964,2443,4618,4617,4307,5079,8917,5063],"class_list":["post-67041","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-cathartes-aura","tag-cooperative","tag-fence-post","tag-memories","tag-perched","tag-photographing","tag-rousing","tag-shaking","tag-spring","tag-stretch","tag-stretching","tag-turkey-vulture","tag-vulture","tag-vultures","tag-wildflowers","tag-wing","tag-wooden-post","tag-yellow-wildflowers"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/turkey-vulture-wing-stretch-mia-mcpherson-9788.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-hrj","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":45763,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/03\/25\/cooperative-first-of-year-turkey-vulture\/","url_meta":{"origin":67041,"position":0},"title":"Cooperative First of Year Turkey Vulture","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I was pleased to see and photograph my first of the year Turkey Vulture perched on a fence post next to a road yesterday in northern Utah.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Turkey Vulture with open bill, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/turkey-vulture-yawn-mia-mcpherson-8448.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/turkey-vulture-yawn-mia-mcpherson-8448.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/turkey-vulture-yawn-mia-mcpherson-8448.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/turkey-vulture-yawn-mia-mcpherson-8448.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":70255,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/05\/26\/adult-turkey-vultures-thermoregulating\/","url_meta":{"origin":67041,"position":1},"title":"Adult Turkey Vultures Thermoregulating","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 26, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"In April there was a bright, sunny morning when I had several opportunities to photograph adult Turkey Vultures warming up after a chilly night by thermoregulating.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Close up of an adult Turkey Vulture thermoregulating in Box Elder County, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/turkey-vulture-thermoregulating-close-up-left-mia-mcpherson-2298.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/turkey-vulture-thermoregulating-close-up-left-mia-mcpherson-2298.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/turkey-vulture-thermoregulating-close-up-left-mia-mcpherson-2298.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/turkey-vulture-thermoregulating-close-up-left-mia-mcpherson-2298.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":52571,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/06\/13\/photographing-turkey-vultures-on-a-june-morning\/","url_meta":{"origin":67041,"position":2},"title":"Photographing Turkey Vultures On A June Morning","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 13, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"As a bird photographer I have found that it is easy to make any species of owl look interesting and appealing in my images but it is more of a challenge to do that with Turkey Vultures but that doesn't mean I don't try. 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