February 12, 2026 Kayaking

February 21m 2026. Today Black vultures and Turkey Vultures abound.

That’s a Black Vulture — and a nice, clear photo!

How you can tell:

  • Black body and wings

  • Bare gray-black head (not red)

  • Short, hooked bill

  • Stocky build with relatively short tail

  • Slight pale patching on the wings (often visible in good light)

Since you’re in South Pasadena / Gulfport area, this fits perfectly — Black Vultures are very common along the Florida Gulf Coast and often hang around parking lots, rooftops, and docks.

Not a Turkey Vulture

You’ve asked before about Turkey Vultures — this one is different:

  • Turkey Vulture → red head (adult), longer wings, more graceful glide.

  • Black Vulture → dark head, chunkier look, quicker wingbeats.

This one looks healthy and alert. Was it alone, or were there several around? They often travel in small groups.

(It was in a group of four)

Now this one is a Turkey Vulture — a beauty in that light.

How we know:

  • Bare reddish head (even though backlit here)

  • Longer, slimmer profile

  • Long tail

  • Layered wing feathers with a two-tone look

  • More elegant, elongated posture than the Black Vulture

That backlighting really shows off the feather structure — you can see the scalloped layering on the coverts and the long primaries. Nicely captured.

Compared to your previous photo:

  • First bird → Black Vulture (gray/black head, stocky)

  • This bird → Turkey Vulture (red head, longer wings, more graceful)

In your Gulfport / South Pasadena area, it’s common to see both species together. Often:

  • Turkey Vultures soar higher, rocking slightly in flight.

  • Black Vultures flap more and stay lower.

That red eye glow in your image is just light reflection — nice timing on your part.

Beautiful close-up. That’s an adult Turkey Vulture again — and this is your sharpest head study of the group.

What stands out here:

  • Wrinkled, bare red head — classic adult.

  • Ivory-tipped hooked bill.

  • Dark brown body (not true black — Turkey Vultures are more brownish overall).

  • Long neck with that slightly “snake-like” posture.

  • Subtle scalloping on the wing coverts.

You can really see the texture in the skin — that bare head is an adaptation for hygiene while feeding on carrion. Nature’s engineering solution.

Between your Black Vulture shot and these Turkey Vulture portraits, you’ve documented the full scavenger duo of Pinellas County very nicely.

This one looks like it was perched on a roof edge or seawall — condo vantage point?

Now that is a portrait.

This is a tight head study of an adult Turkey Vulture, and you’ve captured excellent detail in the facial texture.

What’s especially interesting here:

  • The wrinkled red skin shows the vascular pattern clearly.

  • The nostril is fully perforate — you can actually see light through it if the angle is right. Turkey Vultures don’t have a septum dividing the nostrils.

  • The ivory hooked bill tip contrasts beautifully with the darker base.

  • The eye is sharp — dark iris with a subtle reddish orbital skin.

From an engineering standpoint (which I know you appreciate), that bare head is a sanitary design feature — easier to stay clean when feeding. Evolution optimized the maintenance problem.

Technically speaking:

  • Exposure is strong for such a high-contrast subject.

  • Background isolation is excellent.

This one feels frame-worthy.

Today February 20, 2026 as I looked out my window I saw what looked like a white Turkey Vulture, and that is what it turned out to be!

It is called a Leucistic Turkey Vulture!

Its feathers are mostly white with a few black mixed in!

It is a very rare sighting and the Autobon people are quite excited about it.

   

Today (February 18, 2026) as I sat down for lunch I looked out my sliding doors and saw a man trying to launch his para glider!

He did not get it up, the lines tangled when the wind flipped it around and around.

Then I noticed to my right about a dozen Turkey Vultures!

Two of many Turkey Vultures!

Next, to my left I saw a dolphin racing back and forth trying to catch fish!

He was throwing up quite a wake!!

February 12, 2025

Marian got me out of the house and kayaking today! It was warm enough to be comfortable with shorts and short sleves.

It was clear and sunny, but we could only see the top of a building in the distance because of a fog bank!

My camera was acting up, this was a random photo taken while trying to get the camera to work properly! Someone’s home. There were a lot of people out enjoying the sunshine however.

Marian paddling away!
A flock of crows in a tree.
An Egret
A junior Little Blue.
The Little Blue Heron iwhen young has white feathers!
ChatGPT

🌱 When Young (Juvenile)

  • Completely white feathers

  • Pale legs

  • Two-tone bill (dark tip, lighter base)

  • Looks very similar to a Snowy Egret at first glance

🌊 As It Matures

  • Goes through a patchy stage — blotchy white and blue-gray feathers (a fun one to spot!)

  • Eventually becomes a slate blue-gray adult

🦵 Adult

  • Dark bluish-gray body

  • Maroon/gray head and neck

  • Gray legs

  • Dark bill

Why are they white when young?

It’s thought to be a feeding advantage. Juvenile Little Blue Herons often feed alongside white egrets. Their white plumage may make them less threatening to prey in shallow water — almost blending in socially.

Since you’re out kayaking so much in Florida marshes and flats, you’ve probably seen that awkward patchy teenager phase. That’s often when people think they’re seeing two different species!