Lilac-breasted Roller

August 17, 2017

2017-08-17: WPC: Ooh, Shiny!

The WordPress photo challenge topic for the week are things that are distracting, and I need look no further than birds. Just yesterday, while taking my dog for an afternoon walk, a flash of yellow caught my eye in the bush, and I ended up rather mesmerized at the side of the road trying to photograph the birds flitting passed, mostly so I could try and identify them later. Those photos aren’t worth sharing, but I’m no different whilst on holiday either. Birds are definitely one of the things that stop me in my tracks so I can gaze at them in wonder.

I hope you enjoy my selection of photos.

20170817_WPC Ooh Shiny — A black korhaan, also known as the helicopter bird, spotted while out on a game drive in Etosha National Park. Namibia, April 2017.

20170817_WPC Ooh Shiny-6 — A flock of red billed quilea taking to the air. Okavango Delta, Botswana. May 2017.

20170817_WPC Ooh Shiny-5 — A southern ground hornbill spotted on an afternoon game drive in the Okavango Delta. We were very fortunate to see these endangered birds on several game drives in the delta. Botswana, May 2017.

20170817_WPC Ooh Shiny-4 — A grey go-away bird running along the edge of the Boteti River in Botswana. Granted it isn’t the best bird shot, but I loved the gesture of it too much not to include it. He looks like he’s doing a jig! Botswana, May 2017.

20170817_WPC Ooh Shiny-3 — A pale chanting goshawk perched next to the Boteti Rover in the early morning, likely looking for some breakfast amongst the frogs and other small creatures at the waters edge.

20170817_WPC Ooh Shiny-2 — I think I need to bring a magnetic bumper sticker the next time I go on safari that says “We brake for rollers”. I’ve never seen a lilac-breasted roller I didn’t want to snap a photo of. They are such beautiful birds, with such a gorgeous array of colours. Botswana, May 2017.

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WPC: Ooh, Shiny!

April 29, 2016

2016-04-29: Feel Good Friday

March 23, 2016

2016-03-23: Wordless Wednesday

20160323_Wordless Wednesday.jpg

February 11, 2016

2016-02-11: WPC Vibrant

I missed last week’s photo challenge, but when I saw it, I couldn’t resist posting a photo of one of my favourite birds, the lovely lilac breasted roller.

WPC: Vibrant

June 2, 2015

Chitwa Chitwa Highlights

I was originally planning to combine the two areas of the Sabi Sands I stayed at into one highlights post, but I’ve been having such difficulty finding the time to work on my photos the last few weeks that it just wasn’t feasible. Fingers crossed I’ll be able to get to the final highlights post this weekend, so I can move on to the other editing projects that I want to do – and get out and do some more shooting too!

This guy only had eyes for one thing (the female that is out of shot). More about that in another post.

A huge group of vultures gathering near a kudu carcass. They were waiting for a female lion to clear off before heading in fight for scraps.

A wild dog peers at us from between two small tree trunks.

A lion take a pause from his kudu breakfast.

A dagga boy. One of the old buffalo bulls cooling off in the watering hole.

A yellow billed hornbill, or as my Dad likes to say “the flying banana”.

A wildebeest enjoying the cool air of early morning.

Not who you would expect to see in a wallow.

One of my favourite birds, the beautiful lilac blasted roller. — One of my favourite birds, the beautiful lilac breasted roller.

This time-lapse was one of my first attempts, and shows a mid afternoon at the dam in front of Chitwa lodge. Lots of waterbuck around that afternoon!

I hope you enjoy, and have a lovely day!

February 11, 2015

While organizing photos, I came across a few lilac-breasted roller shots that frankly, I forgot I had. They are from my trip this past October / November to Zimanga. While there, I didn’t have a lot of success capturing the roller, as most of the time we were driving when I noticed it, and it was gone by the time we stopped, if we were able to stop at all. If there is a more beautiful bird though, I’ve not seen it yet. When the sunlight strikes its feather, the colours are just amazing.

Enjoy the photos and have a lovely day.

A cheeky glance over the shoulder. 1/500 sec, f5.6, ISO 100 — A cheeky glance over the shoulder.
1/500 sec, f5.6, ISO 100

If the light would have been on my side, this obviously would have been much better. I included it as I really like the composition. 1/400 sec, f5.6, ISO 100 — If the light would have been on my side, this obviously would have been much better. I included it as I really like the composition.
1/400 sec, f5.6, ISO 100

Perched in the thorn tree, I snapped this just moments before the roller took off. 1/1000 sec, f5.6, ISO 400 — Perched in the thorn tree, I snapped this just moments before the roller took off.
1/1000 sec, f5.6, ISO 400

Up and away. Not the sharpest in flight shot, but a lovely display of the colourful feathers nonetheless. 1/1250 sec, f5.6, ISO 400 — Up and away. Not the sharpest in flight shot, but a lovely display of the colourful feathers nonetheless.
1/1250 sec, f5.6, ISO 400

You can see some of my roller shots from my first trip to South Africa here: Lilac Breasted Roller, The lilac breasted roller.

December 26, 2014

Lilac Breasted Roller

The lilac breasted roller is one of my favourite South African birds – it has such a wide variety of colours in its feathers. While I saw quite a few on my trip, usually it was while we were driving and they were flying away – not the best opportunity for capturing a photo. Here though, I lucked out. A bright sunny day really brings out the feather colours, but the flat white sky also serves as a good backdrop.

June 6, 2013

The Lilac-Breasted Roller

This little bird captivated me from my first sighting, but proved to be a difficult photography subject for the first couple of days. Obviously there was the usual scenario – that birds don’t necessarily sit still long enough for photographs. Then I had overcast weather or flat out rain that did not do the colours justice, or fading evening light. But in the end, I managed several lovely shots, one of which is now framed so I can see it every day.

From Wikipedia:

“The Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus) is a member of the roller family of birds. It is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula, preferring open woodland and savanna; it is largely absent from treeless places. Usually found alone or in pairs, it perches conspicuously at the tops of trees, poles or other high vantage points from where it can spot insects, lizards, scorpions, snails, small birds and rodents moving about at ground level.^[2]

Nesting takes place in a natural hole in a tree where a clutch of 2–4 eggs is laid, and incubated by both parents, who are extremely aggressive in defence of their nest, taking on raptors and other birds. During the breeding season the male will rise to great heights, descending in swoops and dives, while uttering harsh, discordant cries.

The sexes are alike in coloration. Juveniles do not have the long tail feathers that adults do.

This species is the national bird of Botswana and Kenya.”

This is the photo that I have framed 🙂

Lilac Breasted Roller In Flight, April 2013