NikonGear'23

Images => Nature, Flora, Fauna & Landscapes => Topic started by: Nasos Kosmas on August 06, 2024, 22:57:47

Title: Vultures of Creta
Post by: Nasos Kosmas on August 06, 2024, 22:57:47
Creta island is a place that you may find Vultures among other big birds
For me was the first time I sow and shoot such a bird 8)
I visited a friend in Creta first week of July and I did carry my  photographic bag with Z8/500pf
I had an info about  where to find  these birds, so success seemed positive ;D
In deed when we took the 2 km path to climb the mountain, 15-20 birds passed several times our way trying to identify us, it was an  unbelievable moment!!
Finally we found the way up to a place where we can show birds passing under our height,  a unique  View :)
Thanks for watching!
Title: Re: Vultures of Creta
Post by: Ashlandish on August 06, 2024, 23:08:36
Must’ve been a lovely hike and lovely moments. Would love to hike there someday. Thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: Vultures of Creta
Post by: ColinM on August 06, 2024, 23:32:12
Great images Nasos.

Vultures are really important links in the fragile chains of our ecosystems
Title: Re: Vultures of Creta
Post by: golunvolo on August 06, 2024, 23:42:11
Beautiful birds. Elegant.

  Thank you for sharing the images and the story!
Title: Re: Vultures of Creta
Post by: Hugh_3170 on August 07, 2024, 04:33:09
+1

Great reward for what sounds like a strenuous climb.

Must’ve been a lovely hike and lovely moments. Would love to hike there someday. Thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: Vultures of Creta
Post by: Nasos Kosmas on August 07, 2024, 09:13:37
Thank you Tim, Colin, Paco and Hugh for your kind words :)
Let my explain some more about the "climb" .
There was an off road (dirt road path) that we could drive but my friend refused to drive the rented car ( it was forbitten by the rental) so we punish our selves  :o locking the car and walk the road under very hot conditions, any way we stopped some times when we show the birds flying over our heads (actually the birds show us and fly over to identify) that would not be possible driving.
Some more photos including us, tired but very happy :) 

Title: Re: Vultures of Creta
Post by: ColinM on August 07, 2024, 11:29:07
What an amazing landscape too
Title: Re: Vultures of Creta
Post by: Nasos Kosmas on August 07, 2024, 12:29:25
What an amazing landscape too
Yes ideed in the right side you may see Heraklion the capital of Creta near the sea and in front  of as fields of grapes and olive oil trees  :)
Title: Re: Vultures of Creta
Post by: Bruno Schroder on August 07, 2024, 12:56:58
Nice pictures, Nasos. It is always a treat to see this birds in nature.
Seeing your pictures brings vivid memories. I can't understand why my last time in Creta was in 1977 ...
Thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: Vultures of Creta
Post by: Nasos Kosmas on August 07, 2024, 15:09:22
Nice pictures, Nasos. It is always a treat to see this birds in nature.
Seeing your pictures brings vivid memories. I can't understand why my last time in Creta was in 1977 ...
Thanks for sharing.

Thank you Bruno, you have to renew your visit to Creta :)
My first visit was also beginning of 80s being a student in University of Athens where I met  Kostas  the other friend in the photo.
We had a dream back then: to be the happy owners of a Hasellblad  6x6 camera, unfortunately I never succeed so I stayed with Nikon  and never regret 8)

Title: Re: Vultures of Creta
Post by: Bent Hjarbo on August 07, 2024, 15:20:12
Beautiful birds. Elegant.

  Thank you for sharing the images and the story!
+1 and Creta is a lovely island, where there in may.
Title: Re: Vultures of Creta
Post by: Nasos Kosmas on August 07, 2024, 15:32:01
+1 and Creta is a lovely island, where there in may.
Thank you Bent, I think I remember your posting with photos :)

@Paco you are very right : elegant is the right word when I see photo 1#
Title: Re: Vultures of Creta
Post by: Thomas Stellwag on August 07, 2024, 17:58:08

In deed when we took the 2 km path to climb the mountain, 15-20 birds passed several times our way trying to identify us, it was an  unbelievable moment!!


they were looking at you as potential food  ;)

wonderful pictures of birds, I didn´t realize as nice, until now
Title: Re: Vultures of Creta
Post by: Nasos Kosmas on August 07, 2024, 19:35:44
they were looking at you as potential food  ;)

wonderful pictures of birds, I didn´t realize as nice, until now

Thank you Thomas, I do agree about potential food ;D ;D
I show some vultures standing on Facebook pages and it was not so nice, flying is another story, it's very quiet, don’t move the wings like a small glider! I do have some phone videos I don’t know how to post here
Title: Re: Vultures of Creta
Post by: Kim Pilegaard on August 08, 2024, 16:18:41
@Nasos

Great pictures of vultures at eye level. I have been to Crete several times and love it very much. I have also seen vultures there, but only at a distance. It seems you are at Ornio in the White mountains?

Cheers Kim
Title: Re: Vultures of Creta
Post by: Nasos Kosmas on August 08, 2024, 23:44:28
@Nasos

Great pictures of vultures at eye level. I have been to Crete several times and love it very much. I have also seen vultures there, but only at a distance. It seems you are at Ornio in the White mountains?

Cheers Kim
Thank you very much Kim :)
No this is not the place, its on Juchtas mountain (Γιούχτα) near Heraklion
There are several places you may see vultures,  as I can see on Facebook pages from people who shoot in Creta
Title: Re: Vultures of Creta
Post by: Ann on August 14, 2024, 05:06:23
This is very fine set of photographs of vultures in flight.

It is actually quite difficult to take such shots but another place where one can be successful is at Giant's Castle in the Drakensberg mountains.

There is a photographers' Hide (which you can rent for the day) on the top of the mountains there and the Lodge will sell you a bucket of fresh bones so that you can lay out a meaty breakfast for the vultures and other birds of prey.

To get up to the Hide, you do need a 4-wheel drive vehicle. The clouds were right down upon us on the day that I had the chance to go there but I was still able to take close-up photographs of Cape Vultures, Ravens and Jackal Buzzards in flight. We had very much hoped to see the rare Lammergeier as well but unfortunately we didn't.

At home, I have Black Vultures. (I actually like Vultures and find them very photogenic.)
Title: Re: Vultures of Creta
Post by: Nasos Kosmas on August 15, 2024, 10:45:34
Thank  you very much Ann :)
Good to know where to find these birds, I just show the place via google maps, seems very beautiful !
I also check the net for Lammergeier residence and Creta is a place for them :) so maybe next time(s) !
I consider my self lucky on this hike, we had 60-70 min on the top with very good results

Talking about Vultures this is a very beautiful bird I wish I could find :)

https://bcgforums.com/threads/king-vulture.37924/#post-423126 (https://bcgforums.com/threads/king-vulture.37924/#post-423126)

Nasos
Title: Re: Vultures of Creta
Post by: Ann on August 16, 2024, 21:30:51
King Vultures live in Costa Rica — another wonderful place for photographers!

I have spent several weeks there but unfortunately I failed to meet any King Vultures.
Title: Re: Vultures of Creta
Post by: Erik Lund on August 30, 2024, 10:27:50
Really well captured, sharp! and yes the eye level is really making them stand out!
Title: Re: Vultures of Creta
Post by: Nasos Kosmas on August 30, 2024, 11:45:07
Thank you very much Erik, yes the eye level became viral to me  now ;D it’s not the usual perspective for Birds In Flight- BIF