Birds in the bush (South Africa)
Sep 23, 2017 08:20:29 #
The small group of photographers I was with did not include any birders, so we did not always stop to photograph interesting birds while looking for big game, but we did see quite a few neat birds. A few notes:
Southern yellow-billed hornbill - a ubiquitous bird featured prominently in Disney's "Lion King"!
Southern Ground Hornbill - endangered, to some extent due to loss of habitat because the overpopulation of elephants is decimating trees required for nesting.
Ostrich - very deadly and we gave them more space than we gave rhinos
Oxpecker - they have a symbiotic relationship with large mammals by eating ticks - seen here on the head of a rhino - he was going into the rhino's ear to eat ticks!
The "kori bustard" - I guess not to be confused with its more common cousins, the "crazy bustard" and the "cheap bustard"?
More big cats to come...
This is the 4th in a series....
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-486106-1.html
Southern yellow-billed hornbill - a ubiquitous bird featured prominently in Disney's "Lion King"!
Southern Ground Hornbill - endangered, to some extent due to loss of habitat because the overpopulation of elephants is decimating trees required for nesting.
Ostrich - very deadly and we gave them more space than we gave rhinos
Oxpecker - they have a symbiotic relationship with large mammals by eating ticks - seen here on the head of a rhino - he was going into the rhino's ear to eat ticks!
The "kori bustard" - I guess not to be confused with its more common cousins, the "crazy bustard" and the "cheap bustard"?
More big cats to come...
This is the 4th in a series....
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-486106-1.html
kori bustard
(Download)
southern yellow-billed hornbill
(Download)
ostrich
(Download)
oxpecker
(Download)
Verreaux's Owl
(Download)
southern ground hornbill
(Download)
Lilac-breasted roller
(Download)
saddle-billed stork
(Download)
fish eagle
(Download)
helmetted guineafowl
(Download)
Sep 23, 2017 08:52:03 #
Sep 23, 2017 08:57:12 #
I'm not a birder, but I loved the birds of SA. You don't have to sit or call them; they are just there. Loved your shots. Still thinking about going back next year.
Sep 23, 2017 08:57:58 #
sb wrote:
The small group of photographers I was with did no... (show quote)
Very nice, really like the owl.Sep 23, 2017 08:58:18 #
Sep 23, 2017 08:58:19 #
Sep 23, 2017 09:42:12 #
Sep 23, 2017 11:40:16 #
Sep 23, 2017 14:05:03 #
Steve, I'm really glad you attached the links to your previous posts. I must've missed them when you posted them. Terrific shots. Some of your birds look other worldly! Gary
Sep 23, 2017 14:34:22 #
Thanks, all. Some of these are heavily-cropped and the owl was a hand-held low-light photo requiring a high ISO. It is a fantastic place for photography - a "target-rich environment"! I would look forward to going back, but would dread repeating the 16-hour flight!
Sep 23, 2017 15:14:25 #
Sep 23, 2017 16:10:18 #
Sep 23, 2017 16:24:44 #
Sep 24, 2017 07:14:43 #
Sep 24, 2017 07:57:02 #
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