Turkey Vulture

This isn’t exactly what I had in mind for something in my yard, but I looked out and saw several of these things circling lower than I have ever seen them, and they eventually all landed in the scraggly redwood off the deck. I’ve never seen them do either before, so had to grab a camera. After a while they just left.

Specific Feedback Requested

All comments welcome!

Technical Details

Canon R5, 100-500 + 2X at 600, handheld at 1/2000 sec, f/11, ISO 12,800! Basically nothing done to the raw file except Shadow and Highlight slider moves. Into PS to denoise, which worked way better than expected. (Bringing up shadows really revealed noise.) That was it – this is the original full frame.

1 Like

As Larry David would say": “pretty…pretty…pretty…pretty”. For that ISO, you certainly dealt with the noise. Love how it’s sizing up the intrusive photographer! Great job fitting it into the frame too.

What a find in your backyard!

I really like the way the bird is peering through the branches…lining up his next meal?

Great treatment for the high ISO.

Wow, pretty cool. I wonder what attracted them? Anything you want to confess? Lol.

Could stand some more room behind the tail, but the pose and the fact that it’s in a tree is really nice. Usually they roost so high up that it’s hard to get them at a nice angle. Love the checking you out pose.