Africa Wild

The leopard in the mist - could a be a birth defect? The upper 'lip' looks like a cleft lip.

It's been a while ago.... let's say...busy with Tusker ID'ing and many other things ... but... knowing their are many birders among you I like to post this Bird show.

thanks a lot for the comments on the Leopards. Last one in the mist had a funny nose , reason I don't know. Born this way or injured by a Porcupine ?


06 – Birds, Birds and birds

During our trip we have seen several birds, some we know by name and some we could not recognize at all. Birds we could not ID please help… if I was wrong with the name don’t hesitate to correct me. I am not a birder , prefer tuskers to ID…

First raptor we met was this Tawny Eagle (?)

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4 minutes later we saw this one… , again a Tawny Eagle (?)

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and 21 minutes later this (?) , capturing them , I almost felt like a birder… ohhh my neck..

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You see this one often but like the colours and sometimes I stop for a photo (European Roller ?)

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A few days later passing a waterhole we saw this Hamerkop. We haven’t seen them ofter so good reason for a stop

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Suddenly spotted this one in a tree… not sure but think it’s a Martial Eagle

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and just trying to make more and better photos… the eagle decided to take off…but… just could capture him

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A Bateleur Eagle…. Always stop for them , enjoying the beauty of this bird. Specially in a tree at short distance.



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Another challenge for the birders among you. I tried to find this one in one of the books but could not find a match

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and

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Love the Secretary birds. We found this couple near Mooiplaas waterhole near Mopani

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and just before flying away

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Mopani camp, outside the restaurant I spotted this Fish Eagle and lucky… at short distance

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Ground Hornbill. I must say we have seen a lot of them but making a nice photo is not always that easy. My experience… walking fast, moving their head all the time… in high grass or just hiding. This time more luck

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Another region in kruger and meeting another Bateleur Eagle and posing as a model

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and a bit more close-up

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This group of (?) with the background , felt like looking at a painting.

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and

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Waterhole and captured this (?)

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I think this is a Wooley-necked Stork ?

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Finally no clouds but lots of Vultures….

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End of this storie… next will be more of a TT… this was a Bird-show…


Thanks for joining and will be continued.

Aat & Elly

aat

Tawny Eagle
Brown Snake Eagle
Lilac-breasted Roller
Hamerkop
Juv. Martial Eagle
Bateleur
Leucistic Fork-tailed Drongo or other bird, I think
Secretarybirds
African Fish Eagle
Southern Ground Hornbill
Bateleur
Black Storks
Grey Heron
Woolly-necked Stork

Lovely photos!

superb serie of birds magnificent

agree with Toko, except fo the first one... juv Bateleur
and the leucistic could be a Magpie Shrike

and... but I'm not sure

nan wrote:and the leucistic could be a Magpie Shrike

I would think so too. The tail looks longer than in a drongo and the feathers around the beak stand out more than they do in a drongo.

Thanks all for the comments. Being up to date with the tusker ID's etc.... time for another TT covering a few days of our trip

07 – An unexpected kill

Driving through Kruger you never know what’s behind next corner. This “tale” is about some sightings we had with a special note.

Spotting a Gompou ! is probably not that special
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But capturing one flying away was my best try so far, world’s biggest flying bird. Tried it before , mainly resulting is blurrrrr... this time a bit more lucky

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and

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Unexpected kill………

Same day, same drive…just 1minute later we found this Saalbekooievaar (Saddle-billed Stork)
Getting closer we saw he made a kill…. Not a usual one (normally they eat fish, small reptiles, crabs and frogs)

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Taking it up…holding for a few seconds and trowing on the road again…

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Turning his head the right way so I could make a close-up shot.

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I think he liked to try some other food and walked away with his kill into the high grass.
Next day, early morning and without any plan we took some dirt roads and suddenly this younster appeared on the road…

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Relaxed and curious… we were waiting for the others…but… no others , just this younster on his own. May be the rest of the family was already at the other side of the road and this young man was behind… but pffffffffff another score for Elly.


20 minutes later a lovely black-backed jackal showed up and !!! this one did not run, run away, moving fast… but was relaxed and was posing well. Our experience with most jackal sightings is…they walk fast, run… , partially visible because of the high grass… so finally lucky to capture this one like I want it…. smileeee

And look at his forelegs …..

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A bit curious… lovely face

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End of this part… next … more Cats or finally some Tuskers ?


Thanks for joining and will be continued.

Aat & Elly

Cool sightings, aat I love the Kori in flight.

Wonder if that stork has got a molerat

Very nice pics, aat! Also think it's a molerat!
Rare!


Like the Afrikaans names!

Hi all....
It's been some time ago since last story....
I have been busy with re-styling the whole tusker site and my "normal" wildlife site

I post this story because of World Rhino Day.... today september 22 2014

Not a funny story... not a day to celebrate.... but to be afraid for the future of these wonderful animals.

Why ? because the world today is crazy.... stupid..... people are turning into killing machines to kill all elephants and rhino and many other species for some dollars.... payed by "people" from a part of the world thinking a horn of hair will do any good to them.... or , what I think.... they now have money and spend it for buying horn and ivory just for fun....

A world where the word respect is like rhino..... endangered .... No respect for them....no rhino.... they just don't care, including all the people supporting this process.... politcians....rangers....staff.... the reality of 2014

More then 700 rhino lost their life in 2014 ...just because they have some pressed hair on their heads ... the horns they need ....horns they have for many many thousands of years

I feel sad and angry ...every day another 3 are killed. Peacefull animals.... social animals.... animals with a friendly face... not harming anybody.... they belong to the wildlife world.... they belong to africa but also in asia .... just a few left in the far east.... just a few thousand in africa

The world....I mean people do NOT learn from history....

Last trip to kruger you see soldiers ...hunting poachers , I mean I have seen more soldiers in the north of kruger then rhino....

Sorry for this , but it is coming from the heart , I feel and I am angry and knowing I can't do anything to stop it

In this mood I just like to show some pictures of rhino made during our last trip

When I prepared the pictures I was thinking... are you still around....

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Hope it will get better.... Hope to see you rhino....

*** NEW Travel Tales ***
We visited Kruger from April 21th till May 8th.


08 – A Lovely Lovers Day

Thanks for the comments for rhino day “thoughts”

Time for something completely different. Kruger can be so beautiful and peaceful !

Another day and driving along a waterhole we have never been before. I guess we mainly passed it in the past… but this time a “just have look thought”

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And thoughts were right… and yes , another nice score for Elly (cats).

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and

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A nice small pride and “something” was in the “air”

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Suppose you are the male and looking at your girlfriend

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A bit of checking…. Am I right or…?

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I checked…. And ehhhh I think… I guess…. She is pretty and…

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Mhhhhh not bad at all…. I think I have to…. (lion smile)

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Final check before I do what I have to do…..

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She knows…. As male I follow…she will find a place …

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Wowwwwwwwww that was nice …what a lovely couple we are…

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And yes …it was wonderful…. Hard “working” but what a “job” I have…

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Welll bye….. have a nice day…

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That was lamost last view we had before they moved on behind the bushes….
Driving to the S36 on our way back to Satara….

A Kudu couple appeared

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And what an appearance…. Never seen Kudu’s mating before

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A real wonderful lovely lovers day….. this kind of days and sightings makes you happy and produced a big smile on our faces….

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Time to go back to Satara for ….. ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh… yess…. Guess what?
(preparing dinner)



End of this story, see you back soon

Aat & Elly