Friday, January 29, 2010

Guntersville Dam. Revisited.

I'd heard there were eagles nesting over at the dam in Guntersville, so I jumped in the car yesterday to see if I could find them. Lighting conditions were not good, on this very overcast day, but the temperature was very nice. When I got to the nest, I found...
...no one was home!I could hear the water from a distance so went to the dam and, wow, the river was FULL!No one fishing here today on the ramp to no-where!I looked for birds and saw these vultures in the distance......and the gulls diving every now and then.It was quite a sight. Then I had a strange feeling I was not alone, when I looked up...I found I was surrounded and outnumbered!The one way up high was silently calling in his buddies for back up!Where's Snoopy when you need him!At first I thought they could be Black Vultures but then when this fella came in I could see by the long tail they were Turkey Vultures.Getting ready to GRIP! Click on the photo below to see his talons.I was starting to get nervous......so had to check to make sure my trusty steed was waiting for me in case these guys got to impatient to wait for lunch!!

20 comments:

Unknown said...

Eve:

First things first, is that your Subaru WRX ? (we also have a WRX, but it is a fact that Silver ones are faster)

Do Turkey Vultures attack people ? We don't have any up here, only Crows which do attack if they feel threatened

bob
bobskoot: wet coast scootin

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

Love the tower of Turkey Vultures! I saw about two dozen sunning on a cell phone tower last summer.

Eve said...

Hi Bob!! First NO vultures don't attack people!! Poor things I gave them a bad name! Sorry TV's I was just kidding! I was just trying to have a transition to show a picture of my CAR!!!
Secondly....BLUE is always faster, now that is a fact!!! hahahaha! I love my WRX!! They are as much fun as the bikes don't you think!

Eve said...

I thought you would like this one Lynne!!!

Mike Simmons said...

Wow, Eve - nice shot of the Eagle's nest and I like the next one with the low angle on the full river! Nice shots of the TV's too. It must have been after this that you checked out fast bikes! :)

Eve said...

Thanks Mike! Yes it was after this I went to the rocket shop. Should have brought in my camera...there was a lot to see...next time.

A New England Life said...

I miss the TV's! It will be a while before we see them again but they'll be back. Such awesome birds!

Girl, I suggest you get back there and find that Eagle!

Bluekat said...

Hi Eve,
Nice write up on your visit to the Dam. I started bicycling in 2003 and I don't think I'd ever seen an eagle in real life until after I started riding. They weren't around when I was a child. It seems like each year we see more of them in our valley. They are quite majestic.

The photos with all the vultures....creepy! You know, Alfred Hitchcock creepy. :)
It's always startling to turn around, look up, and there they are - lol. Good capture on the bird in flight. The first is very nice. I like his wings in the 4th one down. Translucent and interesting curve to his feathers.

I love days where you can just get out and explore your world. We don't have to live in some special place, because every place has something special.

all my best,
kari

Jenny said...

I guess those TVs were looking for dinner! HA! Couldn't resist! You do have TV dinners over there don't you? I can imagine being quite freaked out if I were on my own and looked up and there they were looking down and waiting. You needed that Baldie to come to your rescue! Great post Evie.

The Giraffe Head Tree said...

NOW who's the brave one? Fierce winds at the dam with a multitude of turkey vultures and not one eagle on the horizon! Great shots - that water is amazing! Glad you're home safe & sound - how's the weather over your way? It's sleeting and snowing at Wheeler Lake today!

Unknown said...

Eve:

Tisk, tisk . . . you mean, that you actually went somewhere WITHOUT a CAMERA.

Well, a photographer without a camera is, well . . . not a photographer.

It's like a fish without a bicycle

bob
bobskoot: wet coast scootin

Jenny said...

Aw! LOVE the new header! Beautiful! You knew I would of course! (-:

Eve said...

Thanks for stopping Sharon, It's really neat here because we have the Black and Turkey Vultures, you never know what yer gonna get!!

Thanks Keri! They can be creepy in numbers!

Very very funny Jenny Wren!! hahahaha, yes we do have TV dinners here...not made of turkey vultures!!

I had a feeling you were at the lake Debi!! We had lots of ice today! BRRRRRRRR!

Ok Bob....I HAD my camera!! I was just...we'll say...timid...about brining it in the shop. But now you've got me going so I'll be sure to bring it and get some really nice pictures of that really tricked out Suzuki! The one that cost way more than I can afford!

PS I'm a Pisces without a bycycle!!! Yikes!! hahahahaha!

Anonymous said...

I found the Black Vultures to be a little more tolerant than Turkey vultures. I wish we had them up here.

Dar said...

Some of these damn pictures are eerie...especially the ramp to bottoms of the riverbed...what's down there anyway? Do you have sturgeon in those waters...they are so prehistoric...
love your bike...I ran a 650 BSA up the side of my house only 'once'. That was the end of my biking anything bigger than a 10-speed. Thanks for the memories. LOL
a Great Weekend To You

irondad said...

I can just hear a couple of those vultures talking to each other.

"Thank goodness for ketchup!"

Like the silhouettes admist the girders. Pretty cool effect.

Bobskoot is hanging out here, too? I run into him everywhere! That v-strom really can anywhere.

kerry hawkins art and photo said...

the vulture photos are cool, they could be part of some kind of art series

Anonymous said...

Vultures, hey it was a good job that you kept moving Evie.

Rural Rambler said...

Sunny Side Up Eve the Header!! The new header is fantabulous!! The turkey vultures are a big creep out and your little WRX would never leave you in a bad spot!!!

Mary said...

Great shots of the vultures! What a nice surprise. Now that you know where the eagles nest is, maybe you will see them there in a few weeks. We're going to start checking the nest we know about. I hope they come back this year.