African skimmers
Aug 25, 2017 18:47:43 #
We spent a couple of hours on two different days playing with skimmer shots on the Chobe River between Namibia and Botswana. They are graceful birds. The skimming shots of course are the classics but our guide said it was more unusual to catch them chasing each other in the air that day.
Aug 25, 2017 19:13:49 #
Great set. These skimmers look just like the black skimmers we have here in southern NJ.
Aug 25, 2017 21:43:59 #
Aug 25, 2017 22:10:29 #
MadMikeOne wrote:
Great set. These skimmers look just like the black skimmers we have here in southern NJ.
I saw some New Jersey skimmers on here recently. Yes, they are very similar but I think yours have some black on the bills, don't they? These are bright orange right to the tip.
Aug 25, 2017 22:14:58 #
Swamp-Cork wrote:
Great birds and a very beautiful set!
Thank you Swamp-Cork. I appreciate your viewing them.
Aug 26, 2017 04:58:52 #
GregWCIL wrote:
I saw some New Jersey skimmers on here recently. Yes, they are very similar but I think yours have some black on the bills, don't they? These are bright orange right to the tip.
Yes, you are correct! Ours do have black part way up the beak from the tip. I actually had to look at some shots I took here to double check. Shows how observant I am!
Aug 26, 2017 07:58:18 #
Aug 26, 2017 08:57:38 #
Aug 26, 2017 11:46:06 #
Aug 26, 2017 13:28:27 #
Aug 26, 2017 17:45:44 #
Thank you Steve, kpmac and amatooch for your kind words. And Steve, thank you for the advice you gave a long time back about travel precautions. No malaria in our group. We did have some medical excitement. One of our group had an old back problem which led to him collapsing with a ruptured disk. Our guide called in air-evac with his satellite phone, he went to a local hospital, then air lifted by plane to Johannesburg, then after getting stabilized he flew back home on a first class lay-flat seat and had surgery. He's well on his way to being recovered. Another of our group developed bi-lateral emboli in her lungs a few days after returning. She's home from the hospital now and on the mend. Whew!
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