Just as you I was suprised when I first saw a vulture in the Sierras of El Chorro.
I as well expected them to live in desert typ landscapes.

And I also tried to take a good picture of one of them.
It was a little bit frustrating, also because I just started to learn using a DSLR.
But in the end, on a hike up one of the higher mountains I got a quite satisfying result where I actually shot the photo from above the vulture :)
That was quite an experience!

Wish you a lot of fun seeking out those shots you are imagining!