Flight of the Cape Vulture

[Ann_JS]

South Africa's National Parks service has built a Hide on the top of the cliffs of Giants' Castle in the Drakenbergs. It is quite small and up to three people can rent it for the day with prior booking. You do need to have your own high-clearance 4WD SUV to get up the rough and very steep track which leads to the cliff-top; and the NP Lodge will supply you with a bucket full of meaty bones which you then spread around the cliff top.

With luck, some Vultures will soon turn up for the feast which you have prepared for them and you can observe them in flight and close-up from their own level.

This sequence shows the majestic Cape Vulture:

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[Louis Champan]

Nice set Ann, now that's a big bird.

 

[Palouse]

Years ago I studied Vultures in India's Gir Forest. Magnificent creatures. Great pictures Ann, the sequence is perfect.

 

[bobbyv]

Nice place. That first shot is awesome with the perch and the classic pose.

 

[Ann_JS]

Thank you all so much for your generous comments and especially for choosing one of my Vulture shots for the front page.

We weren't entirely lucky with the weather on our morning at the Hide which was cold with low-hanging clouds and swirling mist and with no thermals for the vultures to soar upon. We had hoped to see Bearded Vultures but they didn't come.

The people who had had the Hide the previous day had wonderful warmth and sun. We hoped they would come down before the end of the day, so we could have then taken their place up there, but they didn't!

We didn't get any more vultures but our meaty bones did attract some Collared Ravens and this dramatic Jackal Buzzard arrived too.

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rather

 

[drr1531]

Interesting set and explanation, Ann. Nice opportunity to be able to (safely)get so close to your subject.