PDA

View Full Version : See if this doesn't scare you!


LazyPhotographer
13th of June 2005 (Mon), 18:12
My friend Patrick and I are driving around the Salton Sea area and we see this THING in the bushes up on a drainage ditch dirt wall. "What the he11 was that?!!" It seemed BIG (and a possible threat to humans) so we had to get some shots for "identification purposes". Patrick jumped out of the car, climbs up the hill and discovered that it's almost a 25 ft straight drop down on the other side. He can see it's down on the bottom, scurrying away, but didn't get a shot. I got this one out the window - the top of the dirt wall was about 6 ft up, so this thing looked HUGE to us. And oh so very pretty! Oh well, no more shots so we continued on our merry way.

http://www.onlinephotographers.com/gallery/albums/lazypics_miscstuff1/IT5G6879az_GuineaFowl.jpg

About an hour later we come through again on our way back home. He yells, "There it is, on the other side of the road!” So we stop and try to get some shots as it runs into the field. But neither of us is willing to get out of the car to get closer. Hey, we're not getting paid for risking our lives - so no volunteers here. Besides that it was about 100 degrees out.

Here it is... after much research I figure out it's some sort of Guinea Fowl. Looking at the freaky hairs on its head, I suspect a Mutant Guinea Fowl. Look at the size of its feet! Apparently some people raise them like chickens and they have a reputation for eating a lot of bugs & weeds. Clearly, something is lacking from its diet or it wouldn't look so bizarre. There's no way I would offer this, or its eggs, up for dinner to anyone I liked. ;-)

http://www.onlinephotographers.com/gallery/albums/lazypics_miscstuff1/IT5G6948az_GuineaFowl.jpg

Canon 1D Mark II, 100-400L IS

New pics on my website are found here: Newest Additions (http://www.onlinephotographers.com/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=lazypics_new)

stoneylonesome
13th of June 2005 (Mon), 18:53
Yikees! the invasion of the mutant guinea hen from the planet Fowlton :lol: :lol: :lol: I don't think I've ever seen anything like that. Great shot of whatever it is..

Bald Eagle
13th of June 2005 (Mon), 19:04
Can you imagine being served that for a Turkey dinner? now thats scary , great shot.

tupe
13th of June 2005 (Mon), 19:10
Hide the children! That head has "superego" written all over it. I'm telling my therapist about this one. ;)

CyberDyneSystems
13th of June 2005 (Mon), 20:25
That THING is a mutant!

We used to raise them and they were far more "evenly proportioned" .. these look to have been the result of some serious "unnatural selection" (selective breeding) :shock:

Maureen Souza
13th of June 2005 (Mon), 20:43
Weird....and scary..... nice story too.

insomnia
13th of June 2005 (Mon), 20:51
Haha, I saw some of those when I was back home and couldn't figure out what they were, and after zooming in it had hair on it's neck :shock:

LazyPhotographer
14th of June 2005 (Tue), 19:08
Thanks everyone...

bikerider
14th of June 2005 (Tue), 19:24
Nice captures of a 'wild animal'........we used to breed Guinea Fowl on our property having had about 16 of them at one stage. They were lilac in colour and prodigeous layers, unfortunately the Kookaburras really liked the young ones and cleaned up a whole brood of about twenty in a matter of minutes. After that the foxes cleaned up the adults, we then gave up! One thing I do remember well, they were bloody noisy, I don't miss them at all!!
Roger.

Titus213
14th of June 2005 (Tue), 19:54
Hey, it's California! Like the story. It is a nasty looking bird.