Tag: crane

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2025-04-06: Birds

I’ve been really enjoying working through bird images lately, so I have carried on with that today. These images are from both my 2022 and 2024 trips and the only thing that unites them is that they caught my eye when I wanted to work on some images. Perhaps that isn’t the best theme or reason, but I went with it anyways.

A beautiful grey crowned crane spotted in Hwange National Park. I saw quite a few of these birds when I was travelling in Kenya and Uganda in 2016, and was thrilled to see them on my birding trip. Zimbabwe. November, 2022.
A group of great white pelicans gathered on a small sandbar in the river at the same time as our group gathered for a mid-morning coffee and snack stop. Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. November, 2022.
A Kori Bustard strutting along during a morning game drive. Chobe National Park, Botswana. November, 2022.
The harsh glare of the afternoon sun worked a little to my advantage, as it highlighted the bill of this African open bill. Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, Zambia. November, 2022.
A couple of guinea fowls in the shade of some bushes. These birds are a frequent safari companion, and are often chattering or making alarm calls, and generally running along the road. Chobe National Park, Botswana. April, 2024.
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2019-04-07: Birds

A random selection of bird images this week!

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Oftentimes, spotting a congregation of vultures like this, and heading to where they are circling yields an interesting discovery… but in this case, they were all just hovering over a bare patch of desert beyond this bush.

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A group of wattled cranes seen in Botswana.

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A little bee-eater ruffling its feathers.

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Try as I might, I am unable to identify these raptors.  They were spotted on a game drive in Botswana from the Leroo La Tau camp.

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A red-billed quelea flock at sunset.

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Red-billed quelea leaving a roosting spot.  That small tree was absolutely vibrating with energy while they were there.

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An African harrier hawk taking some grief from a pigeon.

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My personal favourite, the lilac breasted roller.

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A Meyer’s parrot spotted in Botswana.  This was the first wild parrot I’d ever seen.

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A Meyer’s parrot.

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2017-07-23: Leroo La Tau in Botswana

For stop #3 on my recent trip to Africa, we left Namibia behind and moved on to Botswana, where we stayed at the beautiful Leroo La Tau camp, which is situated on the Boteti River.  Based on our particular travel dates, getting there was a little bit of a to-do.  We flew from Little Ongava to Windhoek, overnighted in Windhoek with a 4AM wake up call for a transfer back to the airport, then onto a flight to Johannesburg, a connecting flight into Maun and finally our small plane transfer to the camp.  We arrived at camp at around 3pm, and had a relaxing drink and snack on the deck and then a sundowner boat trip.

Each game drive started and ended with a boat trip, as the camp was located on the opposite bank of the river to the conservancy where we took our game drives.  It was great to have the differing perspectives of game and bird viewing from land and from the water.

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A group of bull elephants, arriving in from the Nxai Pan area, enjoying a refreshing play in the river.

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A group of wattled cranes strutting along, looking for breakfast.

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A watchful jackal spotted on one of our game drives.

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A pair of marabou storks roosting in the treetops at sunset.

As we spent 3 days at the camp, we had the opportunity to take a day trip to Nxai Pans.  It was a long day (with a 6:30am departure arriving back around 7pm), but definitely worthwhile and very enjoyable.  We had a picnic lunch in the Nxai Pans park, saw the amazing Baines Baobab trees and a few giant elephants along with loads of other game and interesting birds.

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A pair of old bulls enjoying a mud bath.  Many groups of elephants were making the trek from Nxai Pans down to the Boteti River by the camp.  They arrived appearing white from the salts in the mud in the Nxai region.

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Admittedly not the best photograph, as I shot it straight ahead while the vehicle was moving, but it gives a bit of perspective on the size of the Baines baobabs.  The trunks of each of the trees directly in front of the roadway were wider than the length of the land cruiser we were in.  They actually make the trunks of the California redwoods seem kind of small!

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One of the pans with a baobab in the distance.  The pans were rapidly drying out, and the animals were beginning to move towards the river.

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A group of little bee-eaters seen during our afternoon boat trip along the Boteti River.  There were about 6-8 of these birds all clustered in one area.

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An African Jacana Dad with his chick.  They often call these “Jesus Birds” because from a distance, they appear to walk on water.

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I spotted this Crimson-Breasted Shrike in some bushes during our drive around the Nxai Pans Park.  Try as he might, Calvin could not convince the bird to come out of his hiding spot, so this was the best I could do for an image.

Our guide Calvin, camp managers Nelson and Umani, and all the staff at Leroo La Tau went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable and enjoying our stay.  We were even treated to two performances by the Leroo La Tau choir, including a special song for my parents, who celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary during the stay.  It was truly a special place in a very beautiful area.

 

Please visit:

www.jennifersawickyphotography.com for wildlife, landscape and nature inspired artwork.

and

https://shopvida.com/collections/voices/jennifer-sawicky for textiles inspired by my photography.

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2017-03-21: WPC Atop

The WordPress prompt for the week is Atop – photographs showing a vantage point of being above the subject.  I hope you enjoy my selection of images from my travels.

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The expanse of the Amboseli National Park, and a dust-devil in the distance.  Viewed from the Amboseli lookout point.

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Another view from the Amboseli lookout.  

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Coming in to land at the airstrip in Selenkay.

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A view of a Maasai village from the air; somewhere on route to Porini’s Mara camp.

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Above the clouds.

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Near the Ishasha Wilderness Camp, we found a lovely spot perched over the river valley, the perfect place to watch the sunrise.

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From our perch in Ishasha, not only did we watch the sunrise, but we also watched some hyena hassle a group of crowned cranes.

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Another day, and the start of another lovely sunrise in Ishasha.

 

Please visit:

www.jennifersawickyphotography.com for wildlife, landscape and nature inspired artwork.

and

https://shopvida.com/collections/voices/jennifer-sawicky for textiles inspired by my photography.

 

WPC Atop

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