Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/10/17/vulture-lands-on-paragliders-selfie-stick.html
…
5 Likes
Trippy.
10 Likes
Well, better than having them circling above you… waiting…
11 Likes
Cool. We have a lot turkey vultures around here and they are cool to watch just soar and glide for what seems like forever.
6 Likes
Have a seat. Take a load off.
But where’s the Ocean Spray?
8 Likes
That’s not landing. That’s flying with style!
3 Likes
i love how casual the vulture is. “oh, hey, mind if i chill a sec? kthanx.”
11 Likes
Yesterday, on the drive home, we saw about a dozen in someone’s yard… they were trying to get at a dead squirrel or something that was on the road, but there were too many cars for them. I had to stop to avoid hitting one of them.
6 Likes
Thanks, I love it.
2 Likes
It’s much smaller than I expected.
We don’t have them in Ireland but I remember seeing them while motorcycling across Spain. They had a wingspan that took up a substantial part of the two-lane highway, where I guess they were eating roadkill.
Their size was mentally jarring, but in a wondrous way.
4 Likes
Paragliding with trained raptors is a thing I would totally do. https://www.totalraptorexperience.com/flywithabird
Not only do you get to fly, but you follow a trained bird as they navigate the air currents. Added to my bucket list.
10 Likes
Closest I have come to this is the magpie at the Mystic landing zone in Bright, Australia. It really hates having other things in its airspace, presumably close to its nest.
2 Likes
OMG! How bad do you smell if vultures follow you in flight?!
3 Likes
Trained one by the looks of things, rather than a wild one that just happened to drop in. Vultures and soaring birds in general make great thermal signposts. And they usually don’t seem to be bothered when you join them in a thermal
5 Likes
Much more chill than territorial surfers
2 Likes
Either that or they think you will shortly be carrion.
2 Likes
17 Likes
I was waiting for the vulture to start cutting the ropes to the parachute with its beak. Free food once it hits the ground.
1 Like
Vulture (slowly and progressively cutting ropes): “This little piggy went to the market…”
Flyers: “Wha tha…!!”
Vulture: “…this little piggy stayed home…”
Flyers: “Ge-! Ge-! Get offff!”
Vulture: “…this little piggy had — heh! heh! — roast beef…”
Flyers: “Nnnnnnooooooooooo!!”
3 Likes
One time there was like 8 of them around a deer carcass near my kids house. I took her to go see them, but they flew away. We weren’t even close, but I guess they didn’t want to take chances. I was like, “Oh no, sorry guys! We just wanted to watch!”
One flew and sat on the top of a house for a bit. We went for a 30 min walk and hoped they might have come back, but they still weren’t there. Maybe they were full.
I guess in Texas they sometimes are on the edge of the road and are a bit slow to fly and can get hit by cars. One of the kiddos and I’s favorite youtuber recounts such an experience. It is both gross and hilarious (kids love gross funny stuff.)
2 Likes
