Africa Wild

Richprins wrote:Good Heavens! a water/swamp mongoose!

So that's what they look like!


Jolly good!

Didn't know there were giant kingfisher in Pta!

A nice sighting for me! I've only glimpsed that Mongoose once before at Rietvlei last year and that was not a photo opportunity.

And I didn't know that GKs hovered when hunting!

Toko wrote:Great photo of the fishing KF and well done spotting the elusive mongoose

Thanks Toko

nan wrote:special Mongoose and Leopard....

Thanks Nan, both pictures of something different at a bird sanctuary!

Flutterby wrote:Great sighting of the mongoose! Lovely colours on the Purple Heron. I like the last kingfisher pic.

Thanks Flutts, I agree, the Purple Heron has to be the most beautiful Heron in the region!

Lisbeth wrote:The purple swamphen has beautiful colours

Swamp Mongoose

The Swamphen is also one of my favourites, a selection of some of my favourite colours!

Pumbaa wrote:Once again awesome shots, BluTuna,

and so many different birds you saw

Thanks Pumbaa, I like AR because the birds are so close and there's usually a good selection.

Another visit on May Day!

A slightly blurry Greenbacked Heron in flight.


Sacred Ibis and Gyppos are always present and usually provide opportunities for in-flight shots.



There is a sign requesting (among other things) that visitors do not feed bread to the birds. But, bird seed can be purchased at the Blue Crane Restaurant and throwing this from the walkway can also create great photo opportunities.





Nutty Coots!



And a portrait of one for the resident Blue Cranes.

On this visit, the Kingfishers came out to play

Both the Pied and the Giant gave me a demonstration of their hovering abilities.








I also managed to catch the GK perched.


And just as it flew!

Lovely pic of the crane

Some great in-flight shots!