Ugly is as ugly does. But sometimes ugly is beautiful. This is one of Mother Nature's Garbage Men/Women. He/She cleans up after everyone else. It's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it.

I’ve been dying to get a good head shot of a Turkey Vulture to show the contrast between his beautifully feathered body and his naked and wrinkly head. You just can’t capture that kind of detail when you photograph them in the air. They are quite majestic with a very impressive wingspan when you see them circling in the sky. And, look at those nostrils, I bet he/she can smell dinner from hundreds of miles away (wild speculation on my part)!

I posted a profile shot of this dapper fellow in my gallery. You can see this other photo at: http://artellacafe.com/photos/julies_joy/default.aspx

The photo you see here and the one in my gallery were taken at the Duke Estate in Somerset, New Jersey. As a birthday treat, one day I went and toured the private Gardens on the Estate and went back the following day to take a bus tour around the Estate. I hope to take the walking tour sometime this week or next week.