special moments

[nan]

superb pic of the Goshawk
I love too the juv. Blacksmith Lapwing and the baby Impala

[Pumbaa]

Great goshawk pictures, flying cheetah

Although strange that there was nothing to be seen at "Big T"

[Toko]

Good to see all the youngs

[Richprins]

Nice, fc!

Those black-shouldered kites are rare in KNP...maybe just my experience!

They are very common outside the Park, though!

[flying cheetah]

Thank you all for your nice comments here
@ Pumbaa: the following morning I saw some great interaction between different animals at "Big T"
@Richprins: I made the same experience with these Kites. I guess in all my Kruger visits I only saw 4 or 5 of them.

After a while the Goshawk started to scan the surroundings very carefully and then he started to feed. I don't know if the prey was hidden in the whole of the dead tree all the time or if he made the kill while I was there. Of course I wanted to find out what kind of animal he was feeding on but unfortunetely he never lifted the dead body into my sight. I guess it was some kind of reptile but I'm not sure.










I stayed more than an hour with the raptor still hoping to identify the prey or maybe using the good light for a take-off pic once he finished the feeding. The bird had no intension to follow my wishes but in the end I got the reward for my patience. Suddenly the bird lifted it's tail. I knew what was going to happen and started to shoot away. Here is the result





I must say that the last image is one of my favourite pics of the whole trip. But the dropping of the Goshawk looked very unusual to me so the following day I showed the pic to Amos who is working as a guide at Mopani. I said that there is probably a bone in it but I still wonder how such a bone could go through the digestive system of the Goshawk What do you think??

[nan]

nice pictures
I dont' know nothing about the stomac of a Goshawk... but seems we are bit better educated... maybe

[Toko]

Remarkable sighting

[Richprins]

Hey, fc!

I don't think predatory birds can afford to poop bones much...a risky business?

Good question!

I know owls regurgitate undigestible stuff?

[Toko]

At least some Accipiter species (and I think most raptors except owls) have powerful sromach acids and can metabolise bones they swallow. Perhaps the Goshawk, too

[dup]

g]
. I said that there is probably a bone in it but I still wonder how such a bone could go through the digestive system of the Goshawk What do you think??

FC , you make me think....... and it could be a optical illusion, it looks like a bone but our friend puts so much force into its squirt , it stay in one line and form looking for that split second like a bone.
Great pics , thanks for posting.