Once the pride had moved off from their recent Zebra kill the ever vigilant Vultures began to drop out of the sky. I tried to capture them on approach but they bleed off altitude at a rapid rate Here a tagged Vulture arrives This Vulture has an additional wing-flap to assist in braking Among the many White-backed Vultures tagged birds A392 and A726 were present, as well as a few Cape and Hooded Vultures. A pair of Yellow-billed Kites were also doing noisy circuits hoping for an opportunity. A single Bateleur was also perched in one of the nearby trees.
0 Comments
Some good action here at home as well as a busy day of birding in the Kruger National Park has certainly had me spending a lot of time processing images!!!! Juvenile Bateleur African Spoonbill Lilac-breasted Roller in the foreground with a juvenile. Burchell's Starling with catch Dark Chanting Goshawk Crowned Lapwing Dwarf Bittern in classic stance with beak raised and eyes focused forward European Roller Lilac-breasted Roller Purple Roller Juvenile Lesser Grey Shrike Senegal Lapwing, a scarce resident and intra-African migrant near the southern end of its known range Southern Carmine Bee-eater Great Egret Swainson's Spurfowl complete with spurs White Stork
Cool Colours Trendy cap Let me lick you into shape Unihorn Portrait of a Hog No comment I am in charge around here Whats the bet I am faster than you My Shisha pipe is malfunctioning Do you mind standing up so I can inspect under your tail?
Lesser Moorhen. A skulker of note which has arrived after the recent rains Lesser Moorhen making for cover Wahlberg's Eagle hanging out in the shade A smart looking male Comb Duck White-backed Vulture waiting patiently for a thermal Happy days! This Little Grebe has also arrived since dams have started filling Purple-crested Turaco hopping through the riverine tree canopy Hamerkop went a hunting The Woodland Kingfishers continue to ferry food to the nest. Here a frog is the latest meal
The other evening I was alerted to the presence of a Dwarf Bittern at one of the small pans that have filled as a result of the recent rains. Luckily when I got there it was still showing and I managed to get this image even though the light was fading fast. I then decided it was time to head home. Taking the short cut up the dry riverbed turned out to be a good call as I bumped into the female Leopard and her cub. Dwarf Bittern. An uncommon intra-African breeding migrant A relaxed female Leopard When I had arrived the cub had moved into the cover out of sight. After a short while it reappeared Not an everyday occurrence, and certainly a very special interaction Portrait of the pair
Check out my post dated 21122021 where earlier in the season several species were observed inspecting this high quality site as a nesting option. The Woodland Kingfishers chased off all the interested parties as they knew the value of this site having bred here the previous season. As they are now ferrying food items back to the nest I have been able to spend hours capturing some of the action. This selection is the result of that stake-out First up is a sequence of one of the parents arriving with a food item Next we have some a couple with wing flaring on approach. Note the alula feathers in play This series shows the variety of food items being found and ferried back to the nest The final series is departure shots
African Hawk-Eagle Tawny Eagle Yellow-billed Kite Juvenile Spotted Eagle-Owl An Ovambo Sparrowhawk. Not the best image but I will take it as this is a lifer for me A Dark Chanting Goshawk by way of comparison Male Red-backed Shrike Male Village Indigobird A male Long-tailed Paradise-Whydah in full breeding plumage Juvenile Bronze-winged Courser Close-up showing the feathering detail European Roller European Roller Red-billed Hornbill
I have been monitoring their nest site for the second season in a row now. I was fortunate enough to locate the fledgling once it had just vacated the nest. It was perched on a nearby branch calling softly to the parents every now and again. I realized that they would be feeding it and if I waited patiently something would evolve One of the parents arrives with a juicy meal It presents the catch Handover takes place Busy parent on the look-out for more insects
On a night drive I found a pair of these Owls with the use of my spotlight. I went back the next morning and scouted around and fortunately managed to relocate them in a nearby tree. It ended up being a pair of young Owlets with one of the parents in close support Two in a frame, look carefully bottom left and you will just about make out the eye of the parent Juvenile 1 Juvenile 2 juvenile 2 gular fluttering Parent on guard. Note the whiter facial disc and darker feather streaking of the adult The five yard stare versus a quick forty winks Parent posing after dark a couple of nights later
|
Archives
April 2024
|