Turkey Vulture trying to please...

I initially caught him in the wingspread posted a couple of days ago, and he gave me quite a few shots and even let me approach a little and change my position to clean up the BG somewhat. Then after a few minutes of observing me he turned around and gave me a variety of head poses, just like a good model. Even let me move to brace the lens on a fallen tree.

Canon 7D2, 400 DO II + 1.4X III, ISO 800, 1/320 at f/9. Lens awkwardly braced on a tree-pod -- had to use my left eye due to branches in the way and didn't get the framing accurately vertical.

Basic adjustments in LR then into PS to rotate a little and fill in some corners. A touch of Detail Extractor and Nik Dfine.

Very nice, Diane. If I were to be picky I probably would burn the wood/tree. What do you think? It's a really nice morning light!

Well Grasshopper, you've done it again! That's quite an impressive bird. Love the green/black sheen and detail of his feathers. I hope he doesn't take a dislike to you. He is certainly watching you. You need a medal for "degree of difficulty" in getting this image! I can't voluntarily close my right eye. Were you not worried about the SS?

Nice work, Diane. You and this vulture have developed a relationship. He poses you photograph. A perch to die for, nice feather detail and color. Thank you for sharing.

The vulture and the perch are very well photographed with good exposure and very sharp. Love the perch.
I'm not sure about the branches in the BG. My eye keeps moving away from the bird to those branches.
Gail

He is striking a very regal pose. Even though we cannot see his tail, I feel it is cramped at the bottom. Love the perch...really fits this bird. I like the background, sharpness, and of course your processing looks great.

Thanks everyone!

Adhika, I did burn the perch quite a bit and got concerned it was becoming too similar to the bird. (I burn with Curves, bringing down both the right end and the midpoint to control contrast.)

Glennie, the treepod gave me good stability so I was confident the SS was OK. At 100% the catchlights are perfectly round in the entire set -- I got maybe 15 variations on the pose. Got to contact this model's agency...

Joseph, thanks -- you post some stunning images.

Grace, good point about the tail -- I think there was a little more at the bottom in the raw file but it got pretty messy at the base.

Gail, I could blur the BG a little more -- this is how it photographed. Had no better option to recompose, and the treepod was a gift not to be ignored.