notes from the kelp

July 24, 2011

Over my head

[IMAGE] soaring vulture

…click to listen:

Dinner time?

I truly wanted to believe that the three of them didn’t know something I don’t about my health.
By which I mean, my impending demise.
Was it pending sooner than I planned?

The trio of turkey vultures continued to circle. Again, and again.
Directly over me.
For an intimidatingly long time.
I didn’t just hear the diaphanous sound of their broad wingspans flapping.
I actually felt the slight movement in the air that the flapping generated on this very windless day.

They flew low.

[IMAGE] soaring vulture

Looking like an FAA holding pattern on a crammed afternoon at JFK, these enormous scavengers spent longer than I personally thought they needed to, sizing up whether I’d be keeling over soon enough to make the main course for lunch, or if they’d have to bide their time with vole and field mouse hors d’oeuvres (sooooo boring) until I could be served warm for a late supper.

Gazing straight up to the beautiful, full spread of feathers and talons, I realized that I was viewing the same, very last image, as has many a hapless rodent.
Hmm.

[IMAGE] soaring vulture

It’s still light out as I type this. All bets are off.

Permalink

4 Comments »

Lane Savant said,

July 25, 2011 @ 9:26 pm

Great pictures
William Belote said,

July 27, 2011 @ 10:07 am

Big wow! I know how hard and rare it is to get shots like these – amazing!! The music puts one right in the mood of dire survival mode – “will our hero make it back to the safety of her beach house??” Don’t worry – you’re much too feisty and alive for these winged environmental cleanup crews. But they’ll be watching . . . and waiting! They’re very patient you know.
Steve Hollywood said,

July 28, 2011 @ 11:07 am

This post reminds me of a scene from “Ishtar” when Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman are crawling in the desert and one asks the other why there are vultures circling when they are not dead yet.

The reply: “They’re here on spec.”
Glenn Buttkus said,

July 30, 2011 @ 4:13 pm

Not just a vulture, but a trilogy of portent; what images! You are expert at catching eagles in the lens too, as well as all the other wildlife on your mossy rock. Leaving us perched at the edge AT THE ABYSS for 3:21 was pretty unnerving, but complimented the images wonderfully.

This was a dark moment, a frightening communication, where your inner Lovecraft found a verbal crevice. The poetics found were likewise enigmatic, putting us into some kind of heightened surrealism.

Over My Head

The trio of turkey vultures
continued to circle. Again, and again.
Directly over me.
For an intimidatingly long time.
I didn’t just hear the diaphanous sound
of their broad wingspans flapping.
I actually felt the slight movement
in the air that the flapping generated
on this very windless day.

They flew low.

Gazing straight up to the beautiful,
full spread of feathers and talons,
I realized that I was viewing the same,
very last image, as has many a hapless rodent.

It’s still light out as I type this.
All bets are off.

Alex Shapiro