"Patience"

American Black Vulture: Taking this shot required enormous patience. However, I have to say that the "vultures" patience helped me - as they waited using their keen eye sight and smell in search of any available carrion in the vicinity. As they moved around, I waited patiently with my camera focused in a composition that I wanted to get - with the boken of blue (water from the lake) in the background and green/yellow grass in the foreground. As they came to rest in the ground with legs hidden in the grass, it was time to press the shutter.

Vultures, as a birds of prey and scavenger, are commonly misunderstood as dirty since they practice urohidrosis to cool themselves (using their urine to cool their legs). However, they serve and important role in the ecosystem by clearing off carrion and preventing spread of disease due to decay of dead animals. This value was widely recognized in ancient civilizations and these birds were treated with the respect they deserve.

Comments welcome.