A turkey vulture is perched and poised, with outstretched wings, to dry in the sun after a dip in a nearby creek at Stockstill Park in Branson, Missouri.

I had just seen a dozen or so of these vultures in and around the rocky creek bed.  My efforts to photograph them near the water didn’t go well due to the distance and the bright sunlight, making them seem more like dark silhouettes.  And, of course, as soon as they spotted me, they flew off.

A little further on our hike I tried to approach the creek from a different direction, where the light might be better.  As I made my way through the woods I came upon this and another vulture, holding their wings wide with their backs to the sun, to dry off from being in the water.  If you look closely, you can see this one is still quite wet.

They held their pose and position long enough for me to get close enough to get a good shot.

You can get a better view of this big bird by clicking on the photo.

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