Winter Black Vulture Photos From Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge

While at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma yesterday morning, I was delighted to photograph this adult Black Vulture on a bright, sunny winter day.

Winter Black Vulture at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge – Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1/3200, ISO 2000, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 371mm, natural light

I didn’t see vultures during the winter while I lived in Utah, so seeing them here is a real treat. Plus, I see both Turkey and Black Vultures now year-round.

The vultures at the refuge do a bang-up job of cleaning up any carrion they can find. Vultures are an important part of Mother Nature’s cleanup crew. Scavengers like vultures often get a bad rap, but we need them.

Black Vulture perched on a possible nesting site – Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1/1000, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 400mm, natural light

Steve Creek and I both believe that this vulture, along with the other one in a nearby tree, are scoping out this dead tree as a possible nesting site.

We know a pair of Black Vultures nested in this location last year; we just don’t know the precise location. Also, part of this tree fell last year—we noticed because the section that fell was moved off the road by the refuge staff.

There appears to be a hollow section in the remaining tree trunk that vultures could use as a nesting site.

Black Vulture in winter at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge – Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1/1000, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 371mm, natural light

Having this Black Vulture in my viewfinder yesterday at the refuge was good fun.

Whether this pair of Black Vultures selects this tree to nest in remains to be seen, but spring is not that far away now, is it?

Happy Ground Hog’s Day!!

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Black Vulture photos plus facts and information about this species.