Why Not Vultures?

Lappet-Faced Vultures 11-23-13 6985.jpg-2

Lappet-Faced Vulture

I think vultures get a bad rap. They really perform a valuable service in nature. They do a much better job of recycling than we do.

Vultures Serengeti 11-24-13 8538.jpg-2

In case you’re wondering why I am inspired to post about vultures, I am (1) waiting to find out whether I will want to share the video of the festival choir concert from last weekend, and (2) am also trying to figure out how to possibly convey what is going on with the home crowd (it grows, and changes daily!) through various types of media. But while trying to find time to figure all that out, I thought I’d share a few pictures looking back to my November 2013 East Africa trip, with these spiffy-looking vultures in particular.

African White-Backed Vulture

African White-Backed Vulture

There were more vulture species on the list, but these were the only identified portraits I found recently.

 White-Headed Vulture

White-Headed Vulture

Yes, those are storks in the photo below: they also showed up after a kill, with the vultures.

Vultures & Storks at Zebra Kill 11-24-13 8529.jpg-2

Nature takes care of itself. And us, if we let it.

Out of Africa

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

I am back from an incredible safari in Kenya and Tanzania. It would be more accurate to say I am only partially back, as jet lag persists. I should not be surprised: it took four days to get used to being nine hours ahead. Only now I am nine hours behind.

Cokes Hartebeest, Nairobi National Park, Kenya

Cokes Hartebeest, Nairobi National Park, Kenya

In any event, I wanted to begin sharing a few images from the last few weeks. It will take me some time to go through all the pictures, but I will be posting more as soon as I am able.

Secretary Bird, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Secretary Bird, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

As it turns out my laptop died shortly after I arrived in Nairobi so I started editing on the camera to save room on the flash memory cards. I think I only accidentally deleted one better photograph of a less-than-flashy bird…

Zebras and Wildebeest, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Zebras and Wildebeest, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Not wanting to take any chances, today I downloaded all the pictures to my desktop, which machine has also been unreliable. I then copied everything onto an external hard drive.

Lions, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Lions, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

I look forward to a new laptop, namely one that is not confused by software updates. I am contemplating switching to a MacBook Pro. One adventure after another.

Wildebeest Migration, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Wildebeest Migration, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Please click on the pictures for larger images.

Yellow-Collared Lovebird, Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

Yellow-Collared Lovebird, Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

With luck I will have a sizable collection on my flickr page by Christmas… Except I get redirected away from the flickr page login from every other machine except the dead laptop. What to do, what to do…

P.S. It’s snowing in Chicago!

House Finches through the back window

House Finches through the back window